A mandatory 20-cent Rainbow 6 payout at Gulfstream Park is scheduled for Saturday, when the gross jackpot pool is expected to grow to more than $6 million.
The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 18 racing days in a row following a mandatory payout on Jan. 30. Wagering on the Rainbow 6 Saturday will begin with a carryover jackpot pool of $1,089,069.
Saturday’s 12-race program will also feature champion Letruska’s 2022 debut in the $150,000 Royal Delta (G3) in Race 6.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 7-12, kicked off by a five-furlong starter allowance on Tapeta in Race 7, in which Larry Rivelli-trained Smokin Richie will seek his third straight victory and second in a row on the all-weather surface.
A 7 ½-furlong turf race for $20,000 claimers follows in Race 8, a potential ‘spread’ race with 10 non-winners-of-two entrants. A well-balanced field of 12 3-year-olds will contest Race 9, a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight event that is also expected to be a challenging Rainbow 6 leg. Todd Pletcher-trained Pioneering Spirit enters the race off a second-place finish at Fair Grounds, while stablemate Complete Agenda will seek to improve on a third-place finish from a wide post; Kelly Breen-trained Magic Nera stretches out around two turns following a respectable and very wide debut; and Shug McGaughey-trained Montauk Point is coming off a second-place finish in which he edged Complete Agenda for the place.
Pletcher-trained Star Seeking, second in her recent U.S. debut, is rated as the 8-5 morning line favorite for Race 10, a mile optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares on turf. Chad Brown-trained Black Sand, who graduated in his fifth career start in his Tapeta debut, will return to turf; and Bill Mott-trained Applecross, who closed with a rush to lose by a neck after experiencing early traffic trouble, is also prominent in the field of 10.
In Race 11, a mile race for $6250 claimers that have not won two races lifetime, solid off-the-claim trainer Jorge Delgado is scheduled to saddle Meteorite, who is coming off a second-place finish for a $12,500 tag. Jeff Hiles-trained Spin Rate, who finished behind Meteorite in fourth two starts back, drops in class off a third-place finish on Tapeta.
A mile maiden special weigh event for 3-year-olds on turf closes out the Rainbow 6 sequence. Pletcher-trained Vocalize, who finished third at five furlongs following a slow start from the rail post position, stretches out for the Rainbow 6 finale. Brown-trained Thistle and Growth Capital, Michael Stidham-trained Father Red; and Rusty Arnold-trained Double Clutch and Mike Maker-trained Chasing the Crown are scheduled to debut in the race.
In addition to the mandatory payout Saturday, Gulfstream will offer simulcast wagering on Saturday’s Saudi Cup (12:40 p.m.), as well as the Saudi Derby (11:10 a.m.) and the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (11:50 a.m.). Mandaloun is scheduled to make his first start since being officially recognized as the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner in Saturday’s $20 million Saudi Cup, which also attracted Art Collector, Midnight Bourbon and Country Grammer from the U.S.
Silks simulcast facility will open at 10 a.m.
The Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot is usually 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 usually 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 pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence.
Who’s Hot: Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode his 3000th North American winner Thursday at Gulfstream, rode four winners on Friday’s program. The three-time Championship Meet titlist rode back-to-back winners Friday – Treasure King ($6) in Race 6 and Disc Jockey ($3) in Race 7 – before winning Race 9 aboard Luni Sima ($7.20) and Race 10 aboard Q F Seventy Five ($6.40) in Race 10.
Jose Ortiz made a pair of visits to the winner’s circle after victories by Cajun Mandate ($4) in Race 2 and Amusing Antics ($12) in Race 8.
Miguel Vasquez doubled aboard Sensei Lawrence ($3) in Race 1 and I Believe in Magic ($12.40) in Race 4.
