Rainbow 6 to be paid out Sunday, with betting pool in the millions

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – While there is no stakes on the 11-race closing-day card of the 2021-22 Gulfstream Park winter meet, the focus will be on the Rainbow 6, which will have a mandatory payout.

Provided there is no single winning ticket sold on either Friday – the gross pool began at $650,000 – or Saturday, the pool is likely to be more than $6 million on Sunday.

The wager has a 20-cent minimum and requires bettors to select the winners of the last six races. The first Rainbow 6 race will be the sixth with a 3:36 p.m. post.

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Here’s a look at the sequence.

Race 6: Trainer Kent Sweezey holds a strong one-two punch with No Drama and Joe Phillips in this full field of $12,500-$10,000 claimers going 1 1/16 miles over the Tapeta. Sweezey said of the two he prefers Joe Phillips, who was beaten three lengths last out by class-dropping Conglomerate, who came back to win a starter allowance for new connections. Prior to that, Joe Phillips was a maiden-claiming winner on turf on Jan. 12.

No Drama, however, did run his best race over Gulfstream’s synthetic surface and has the rail on Sunday.

Gonna Be Epic goes first off the claim for Peter Walder. He was five lengths behind Joe Phillips in that Feb. 12 race. Deeper pockets might want to include Meteorito, who goes first off the claim for Amador Sanchez, who has had a solid meet.

Race 7: Logico is logical in this maiden affair for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs. He has been second to the likes of White Abarrio, Emmanuel, and Charge It in maiden races. If none of the first-timers here are of that ilk, perhaps this Antonio Sano trainee can finally get his maiden victory.

First-time starter Broken Spur, by American Pharoah, is the first foal out of stakes-winning dam Stageplay, a debut winner for this same owner-breeder. He is trained by Bill Mott, who also sends out Mendenhall, who dwelt at the start of his only race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the uncoupled pair of Gate Runner and Days of Yore. Gate Runner is a half-brother to Grade 3 stakes winner Engage, a second-out winner, and Days of Yore gets leading rider Luis Saez.

Race 8: You have to go at least three deep in this $12,500-$10,000 claimer for fillies and mares going a mile and 70 yards over Tapeta. Kentucky Pride finished second in a race that produced next-out winners Khosea and Emma and I.

Splicer and Conundrum Queen each comes out of a maiden win. Splicer has improved with the addition of Lasix and stretching out on Tapeta. Conundrum Queen comes out of a victory for maiden $25,000 claimers on turf. Bettors may have to include Elusive Uncaptured, whose three best runs have come in two-turn Tapeta races.

Race 9: In a full field of maiden/optional maiden $50,000 claimers going 7 1/2 furlongs on turf, Space Runner comes out of a runner-up finish to Treasure King on Feb. 25. Treasure King came back to win a Florida-bred stakes at Tampa last Sunday.

Vocalize, trained by Todd Pletcher, drops in for the tag after finishing third and sixth in a pair of open maiden races on turf. He gets a rider switch to Irad Ortiz Jr.

Quantum Theory was third for maiden $35,000 on Feb. 19, but is now a first-time gelding and goes first off the claim for David Fawkes. Great Uncle is a firster by Uncle Mo out of the Grade 1-winning dam Zo Impressive, who won at Gulfstream in her debut, but on the dirt.

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Be mindful if Sunset Provision somehow draws in from three deep off the also-eligible list.

Race 10: Trainer Rohan Crichton has two live ones in this field of older statebred allowance horses in Absolute Grit and Twice Too Many. Both should be suited by the six furlongs of this race.

Absolute Grit has won both his starts since being claimed over the winter, earning a career-best 87 Beyer last out. Twice Too Many has lost four times as an odds-on favorite. On March 5, he was second to You’re Killin Me, who came back to run a solid second in a starter allowance here on Thursday.

Saffie Joseph Jr. sends out The Distractor, who goes from a 10-pound bug boy to Tyler Gaffalione.

Race 11: Bettors who make it this far will likely be leaning on Joseph to cap off his first winter meet title with a victory by Knowwhentofoldem in the finale, a maiden $16,000 claimer at a mile on turf. In his only start, Knowwhentofoldem was beaten a neck when sent off the 6-5 favorite in a field of 12 for this same price going a mile and 70 yards on Tapeta.

What Knot was twice fourth, but he encountered some trouble in a Feb. 4 turf maiden that produced two next-out winners.