Huge pool in the making for a difficult Rainbow 6 forceout
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Horseplayers who discipline themselves to bet into jackpot-type wagers only when a mandatory disbursement is in effect will have another opportunity to leap into action Saturday when a burgeoning Rainbow 6 pool is forced out again at Gulfstream Park.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will be held on the last six races of the day (races 7-12), after the Grade 3 Royal Delta is run as race 6.
The Rainbow 6 pool has grown day by day since it was last forced out Jan. 30, with the actual carryover into Thursday being $978,680. An additional $5,348,492 was bet Jan. 30, the day after the Pegasus World Cup, chasing a carryover of $727,306. Winning tickets returned $25,195.
Maximizing the Saturday handle is dependent on the jackpot not being emptied Thursday or Friday, the type of unusual occurrence made most famous on May 25, 2014, when the late Dan Borislow won nearly $6.7 million the day before a scheduled forceout. A similar coup resulted here Jan. 7, also a day ahead of a planned forceout, when one winner hit for $1.2 million.
Continuing dry conditions in the local forecast mean all races scheduled for turf most likely will stay put Saturday. Here’s a rundown of the sequence:
Race 7
Nothing like a five-furlong Tapeta dash to get the handicapping juices flowing. Two of the main contenders in a field of nine older horses in this starter allowance, Unprecedented and Smokin Richie, own similar front-running styles, and if they cancel each other out as sometimes occurs under such a scenario, this one could be thrown wide open.
Like What I See, going turf to synthetic, would do well to rate kindly while saving ground under Irad Ortiz Jr. when trying to sneak up on those favorites. Reconfigure, a sharp last-out winner over the synthetic track with a noteworthy 89 Beyer Speed Figure, is among the others capable of a mild upset.
Race 8
There’s one obvious throwout, Unimpeached, in a field of 10 older horses going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf, but otherwise, this is a real head-scratcher. Some fans will default to Impressive Speed partly because it’s Irad Ortiz from post 2, but quite a few more stand realistic chances, including but not limited to Souper Fortune, Mean Machine, and Propensity. It could be a tale of woe if you let this one trip you up, knowing ahead of time how tricky it is.
Race 9
A full gate of 12 3-year-old maidens stretching out to their longest-ever distance of 1 1/8 miles on the main track seems easy enough to winnow down to a handful of likely winners. Todd Pletcher seems to have the uncoupled pair of Complete Agenda and Pioneering Spirit on the threshold of leaving the maiden ranks, while Montauk Point and Bourbon Heist also are logical plays following last-out runner-up finishes. Iconic Adventure, the Godolphin homebred getting first Lasix, also wouldn’t be too far-fetched, but everything else should be a price.
Race 10
As well as Star Seeking ran on the Pegasus undercard when second in her North American debut for Pletcher, the Irish-bred will probably be a single for some players looking to take a stand somewhere in seeking to limit the cost of their ticket. Her 83 Beyer from that Jan. 29 race compares very favorably with the other nine fillies and mares in this one-mile turf race, and another step forward would make her tough here. A reasonable alternate is the British-bred Black Sand, with Irad Ortiz riding for Chad Brown from post 1 off a maiden win on the Tapeta.
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Race 11
Meteorito is another potential single as he adds Irad Ortiz when being jammed down in class following a Jorge Delgado claim in this one-turn mile for bottom-rung ($6,250), never-won-two claimers. Vinny Dream and maybe a couple more are his chief threats.
Race 12
Rife with unknown quantities, this oversubscribed turf mile for 3-year-old maidens is a fitting end to a difficult sequence. Among those who have started, La Maquina, Vocalize, and Urban Forest look most capable – but then you realize there are a number of first-timer starters from top barns that could be very dangerous, those being Father Red, Chasing the Crown, and perhaps most importantly, the uncoupled Brown duo of Growth Capital and Thistle.