HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to make an Easter Sunday visit to Gulfstream Park, where he is named on five horses on the 10-race program.
Ortiz is named to ride Rohan Crichton-trained Forest Survivor, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming starter allowance on Tapeta in Race 2; Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Ticket to Heaven, rated at 9-2 in a mile $35,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies on turf in Race 5; Todd Pletcher-trained In the Union, rated second at 5-2 in a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds on turf in Race 6; Daniel Pita-trained Famous Gent, rated at 4-1 in a 5 ½-furlong allowance for state-bred on Tapeta in Race 9; and Joseph-trained Ken Loves Kitten, a first-time starter rated at 7-2 in a mile maiden claiming race on turf in Race 10.
The 29-year-old superstar entered Saturday’s program at Keeneland with 97 wins in 2022, one behind Luis Saez’s leading total of 98. He has a clear lead in purses won with more than $7 million.
Ortiz, who had captured three-straight Championship Meet titles before finishing second behind Luis Saez at the recently concluded Gulfstream winter meet, edged Saez in the purses-won standings, $5.05 million to $4.99 million, after riding Life Is Good to victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).
Rainbow 6 Jackpot Hit for $220,289 Payoff
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool was hit for a $220,289.42 payoff Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The popular multi-race wager had gone unsolved for six racing days in a row.
A single ticket with the winning combination of 2-2-9-2-11-5 was sold.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
The Rainbow 6 will start anew on Sunday, when the six-racing sequence will span Races 5-10, featuring a mile optional claiming allowance on turf in Race 6 and a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Florida-breds on Tapeta in Race 9. Danny Gargan-trained Riot House, who came off a nine-month layoff to break his maiden March 12, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite in Race 6, in which Todd Pletcher-trainee In the Union is scheduled to slated to make his turf debut. Owner/trainer Louis Roussel III sends out Heals the Soul, his first starter of the Spring/Summer Meet, in Race 9. The 4-year-old son of Maclean’s Music recently came off a five-month layoff to win a five-furlong turf sprint at Fair Grounds last time out. Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Nerve is set to make his first start since finishing second in the Hollywood Beach at five furlongs on turf last September.
Gulfstream Park Press Release
Photo: Irad Ortiz Jr. (Coady Photography)
