Gierkink: How I'll play Gulfstream on Sunday, Feb. 25

The Rainbow 6 on the marathon 13-race card is challenging but playable if you key 3-1 shot GOT STORMY (2) in the opening leg, the eighth race. She’s getting a noteworthy trainer switch to a red-hot Mark Casse following a sale to owner Gary Barber and should improve on a recent fourth in a similar maiden special weight route on the grass.

Race 9 contains two interesting first-timers, MO SMART (5), a daughter of high-percentage debut sire Uncle Mo trained by Todd Pletcher, and HELPING LISA D (7). The latter is sent out by a very low-percentage first-out trainer, but her dam produced a pair of debut winners.

The winner of the 10th, a wide-open $16,000 non-winners-of-two tilt, could be among the following: CAPTAIN KITT (3), SET ME UP (5), SPEAK WITH ME (7), and MR. PAPILLON (8).

Going two-deep in the featured Melody of Colors Stakes with the favored MARCH X PRESS (3) and longshot CRAZY FOR SOFIA (4). March X Press has been idle since finishing a close fifth behind a trio of European invaders in a five-furlong stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard at Del Mar. Crazy for Sofia is shortening up to a suitable distance off a prominent seventh in the Ginger Brew Stakes, from which the sharp winner exited to capture another stakes.

The 12th is another contentious conditioned claimer on the grass. It can probably be pared down to DON’T OVER LOOK (1), SNAG (5), SAHARA STORM (8), WAGE ACCELERATION (10), and PASSPORT TO CHAOS (11).

The anchor leg contains some promising maiden 3-year-old fillies traveling a mile on the grass. The nicely bred first-timers GIANNA SCHICCHI (3) and TOO COOL TO DANCE (6) are both sent out by high-profile trainers who can have one ready to go long on debut. FIGARELLA’S QUEEN (5) has the best race on the page, a front-running second in her first turf attempt. Longshot SOAR FROM SHADOWS (8) is changing surfaces, and the daughter of mediocre turf sire Bernardini is strongly bred for the grass on the dam’s side.

RAINBOW 6: 2/5,7/3,5,7,8/3,4/1,5,8,10,11/3,5,6,8