Mandatory payout in Rainbow 6, Florida Sire Stakes top Saturday card
Gulfstream Park will host a mandatory forceout of its popular Rainbow 6 wager on Saturday, when the opening legs in the Florida Sire Stakes will anchor a card expected to be run amid dry conditions.
The jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 stood at $458,914 through last weekend, so several million dollars in new handle can be expected. This will be the largest forceout at Gulfstream since June 26, when nearly $2.8 million was wagered into a carryover of $464,803. Another forceout with a much smaller pool was held June 30 because of a regulatory issue involving the end of fiscal year in Florida.
Millions in new Saturday handle assumes the Rainbow 6 won’t be swept by a solo winning ticket Friday, as happened in May 2014 when the late Dan Borislow hit for $6.6 million the day before a massive forceout was scheduled. A $700,000 pool guarantee is in effect for the 10-race Friday card.
The Florida Sire Stakes series, a staple of the state breeding and racing industries since 1982, kicks off with the $100,000 Dr. Fager and $100,000 Desert Vixen, both set for six furlongs. Ample fields were expected when entries were drawn late Wednesday.
Gulfstream racing officials were expecting that two $60,000 overnight handicaps, the 3 Sons Brewing Co. Sprint and the rescheduled Bay Harbor Islands, also will be part of the Rainbow 6 on Saturday. Unlike last Saturday, when rain forced all racing off the turf, the forecast for this weekend is for sunshine and a high near 90.
Subsequent Florida Sire Stakes events are set for Aug. 28 and Sept. 25.