$3.6 million carryover and playable Rainbow 6 sequence for mandatory payout day

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Here we go again!

Sunday’s mandatory payout in the Rainbow 6 figures to create a final pool somewhere north of $15 million by the time the final 20-cent ticket is purchased. The wager survived a very tricky sequence on Saturday with a $3.6 million carryover, and horseplayers everywhere should give a pat on the back to the racing department for making this final sequence a bit more manageable than those offered on prior mandatory payout days. Sunday’s field sizes allow the average player with a modest bankroll at least a fighting chance of hitting the Rainbow 6 and don’t tilt the odds almost totally in favor of the big syndicates.

With that said, the following is a capsule look of the six races that make up Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence.

Race 6

The lack of any legitimate pace lends to the wide-open nature of Leg 1. Danzing Dunhill (No. 4) was a pretty impressive maiden winner in his local bow and is a very consistent sort from a figures standpoint. Blazing Desire (5) chased the 3-2 wire-to-wire winner Monforte (a winner of two in a row) and held relatively well at the end in his last race. He could find himself controlling the pace in this spot and be tough to beat with Irad Ortiz Jr. up. For extra coverage, those with larger bankrolls would probably feel better tossing in Vintage Kitten (6) and maybe even Poppy’s Boys (1) with Luis Saez taking the call.

Race 7

Once again the lack of any real pace makes this bunch of mid-level conditioned claimers tough to sort out. I’llmakeyousmile (6) is 2 for 2 over this track and showed speed winning a starter-allowance race here last year. He might stand some catching on the drop if aggressively handled by apprentice Cristian Torres. Free to Fly (1) also is hard to toss off a near miss last time around two turns. He gets Irad Ortiz Jr. and is a must-use off his two tries since returning to the main track.

Race 8

Trip players have been waiting to bet Armchair Jockey (3) back since his near miss under similar starter-allowance conditions here on Jan. 2. He was beaten a length after being checked and taken far back early, and then steadied in traffic while full of run down the stretch. I would also want to have Honey Won’t (1) on the ticket after his near miss to in-form Quality Choice. Those looking for a little more protection and a price could toss in Ty Ran a Homer (5), who is coming off a very rough stretch run of his own. He has the speed to sit a lot closer to the early leaders this time with the aggressive Paco Lopez aboard.

Race 9

These lower-level open claiming races for fillies and mares can result in some wild results and usually demand plenty of cover in the Rainbow 6. Durlyn (1), a popular item at the claim box, is well positioned inside if aggressively handled to take advantage of what speed she has in a relatively paceless event. Brookes All Mine (5) beat this same kind last time and is in peak form since teaming up with jockey Fanny Olsson. Ledecky (8) and Quick Point (10), although a bit poorly posted, are others to consider as potential win threats with the right trips.

Race 10

The penultimate leg has a stakes-quality field under allowance conditions and features an abundance of early speed. That said, Hay Dakota (7) could be the most logical choice considering his running style. He also is exiting a key race that produced Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale winner Instilled Regard. The stretch-running veteran features a very potent jockey-trainer combo in Irad Ortiz and Jason Servis. Sayyaaf (2) has future stakes winner written all over him and was impressive in his local bow, although he is not likely to see the lead as readily today. He still is a must-use on all Rainbow 6 tickets. Sombeyay (9) has plenty of class but has been absent a long time and has never faced older horses. High Ratio (10) will be making his U.S. bow and the distance is a question. Aquaphobia (5) should benefit from the projected pace scenario but has not won in a long time.

Race 11

The finale may come down to a choice between singling the Chad Brown first-time starter Lonesome Fugitive (7), who is working extremely well, or taking a big spread among the experienced runners. That group would include Tolkien (2), who would have been a stone-cold winner of his debut if he had not been impeded by winner Blanketof Roses in late stretch, Scanno (4), Skyray (5), and U S Army Corps (6).

Mike Welsch’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 Ticket
Race 6: 4 5
Race 7: 1-6
Race 8: 1-3-5-6
Race 9: 1-5-8
Race 10: 2-7
Race 11: 2-4-7
Total Cost: $57.60