Longshot Spirited Boss winning the Sanibel Island on Saturday. (Ryan Thompson)
$288K Carryover, Pool Estimated to Surpass $3 Million
Saffie Joseph Jr., Irad Ortiz Jr. to be Crowned Meet Champs
Gulfstream Today
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is estimated to surpass $3 million for Sunday’s mandatory payout of the popular multi-race wager on closing day of the 2024-2025 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.
Post time for the first of 12 races is 12:50 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for a sixth consecutive racing day on Saturday’s Florida Derby Day program. It has produced five six-digit returns including a high of $489,592.94 Dec. 15 and the most recent payoff of $121,198.50 March 21.
A total of $550,873 was put into the Rainbow 6 on Saturday’s Florida Derby Day program. There will be a carryover of $288,488.31 for Sunday.
Sunday’s sequence spans Races 7-12 and begins with a claiming event for fillies and mares 3 and up scheduled for one mile on the grass. Awesomely Wild makes her turf debut after finishing third in back-to-back starts, once each on the dirt and all-weather Tapeta course. Carrington takes a class drop following successive thirds at 7 ½ furlongs and 1 1/16 miles.
The first of three maiden special weight events comes in Race 8, where eight 3-year-olds are entered to go 1 1/16 miles. Majorca, Only in America, Meritorious and Shangrala Road, all Triple Crown-nominated, are a combined 0-for-7 this winter while Balino, a son of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Authentic, makes his race debut.
Race 9 is a claiming event for 4-year-olds and up going one mile on the main track. Lookin At Roses, 9, chases a 15thcareer win in his 59th start, having gone winless in four straight since last fall. Top Recruit exits a 3 ½-length victory sprinting 5 ½ furlongs Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay Downs for meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and owner Ken Ramsey, who also send out 2-1 program favorite Billy the Greek.
Fillies and mares 3 and up are scheduled to go 1 1/16 miles on the grass in Race 10, a maiden special weight that drew a field of nine including first time starters Royalty Rate, by Medaglia d’Oro, and Mildred Pierce, by Uncle Mo. Royalty Rate, trained by Chad Brown, is one of five horses that brought six figures at auction with a $300,000 price tag matched by Taboo Mischief, winless in three prior starts, all on dirt.
Race 11 is the $60,000 Sunshine State Starter Handicap for older horses going 1 1/8 miles on the Tapeta. Lamplighter Jack, a 12-time career winner, is entered to return to synthetics, where he is 5-for-8 lifetime at Gulfstream, after six straight turf starts. K.C. Chief won the Mucho Gusto Handicap at the course and distance two starts back. Both Soulmate and Honesto come off Gulfstream Tapeta wins going 1 1/16 miles.
The Race 12 finale is a maiden special weight scheduled for one mile on the grass that drew a dozen 3-year-old fillies. Fallon adds blinkers and Lasix in her first turf start after finishing third twice in four tries on dirt. First-time starters include Hibiscus and Caviar Breakfast, homebreds by Constitution and Mendelssohn, respectively, and $120,000 Gun Runner daughter Lose Control. Obiessante stretches out after being beaten less than two lengths when fifth in a five-furlong grass sprint Feb. 15 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only 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.
However, on mandatory payout days the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence. This will be the sixth mandatory payout of the Championship Meet dating back to Jan. 5.
The Rainbow 6 was last solved for a $121,198.50 jackpot payout March 21.
Saffie Joseph Jr. will finish as the Championship Meet’s leading trainer for a fourth consecutive winter, while also leading the standings in purse earnings for the first time.
It will be the third straight meet title for Irad Ortiz Jr., who becomes the first jockey Gulfstream history to win six winter riding titles, breaking the previous record of five held by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano. Ortiz was also tops in purses earned.
Who’s Hot ~ ~ ~
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. saddled three winners Saturday, White Abarrio ($2.10) in the Ghostzapper (G3), Implementation ($10.80) in the Army Mule and Movin’ On Up ($8.20) in the Sand Springs …
Both White Abarrio and Sherlock’s Jewel ($41.20) in Race 8 were ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. …
Manny Franco also doubled aboard Five G in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Implementation …
Dylan Davis scored wins on Unclecharliesgift ($22) in Race 2 and Seminole Chief ($9.40) in the Appleton.
