Rainbow 6 forceout at Gulfstream a stiff test for handicappers
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Horseplayers looking for more high-end wagering action at Gulfstream Park following a huge Pegasus card Saturday won’t even have to wait 24 hours.
A forceout of a burgeoning Rainbow 6 pool is set for Sunday, with the first race in the 20-cent jackpot wager set for 2:48 p.m. Eastern. The sequence spans races 6 to 11, or the last six races of a program that starts at 12:10.
The Rainbow 6 pool has grown incrementally since it was last emptied Jan. 5 by one winning ticket worth $533,783. Into Friday, the carryover stood at $560,892.
Roughly $5 million in new wagers can be expected for Sunday, although maximizing handle is dependent on the jackpot not being swept Friday or Saturday. Regardless of whether that happens, track officials said the forceout will proceed as scheduled. There is no “solo winner” requirement when the Rainbow 6 pool undergoes a mandatory disbursement such as this.
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Continuing dry conditions in the local area mean all races scheduled for turf most likely will stay put Sunday. Here’s a rundown of the sequence:
Race 6
Ski Patrol gave a fairly strong indication that turf might be his preferred surface when he returned from a nearly 11-month layoff with a solid fourth-place finish for the same starter-allowance conditions governing this one-mile turf race. Ski Patrol, a lightly raced Augustin Stable homebred, is one of at least a half-dozen logical plays in an almost inscrutable opening leg, along with My Sea Cottage, who blasted off to a front-running romp versus “beaten” claimers seven weeks ago, and Meyer, a Canadian invader who probably needs more distance but could be flying late with Joel Rosario riding.
Others likely to be used on tickets fully intent on being alive after just one race include Outperform, Worlds On High, Stat, and Cape Cod.
Race 7
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey shows a positive ROI ($2.11) with horses stretching out from a sprint to a route, which is what Biloxi Blues is doing here. The gray daughter of classic sire Tapit was just okay on debut in November at Aqueduct but shows a steady recent work pattern at Payson Park in preparing to take on more ground, and she’s one of five in this field of nine fillies getting first Lasix as a newly turned 3-year-old now eligible to be treated with the bleeder medication.
Biloxi Blues figures to vie for favoritism with Tituba, a Todd Pletcher trainee who gets leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. He makes a similar stretchout.
Race 8
Canadian trainer Marty Drexler enjoyed a breakthrough 2022 in wins and stable earnings, and he’s back in South Florida for a second winter with a solid contingent, particularly his runners with established form over Tapeta. One shining example is Conglomerate, whose 3-for-4 record over the Gulfstream synthetic is one of several reasons he’s the 122-pound highweight in this starter-handicap predicated on weight assignments; a last-out Woodbine victory also punctuates his recency. He could be a single on quite a few Rainbow tickets, with Momza, Timmy M., Poppy’s Boys, and Wicked Finn looking best of the alternatives.
Race 9
This might well be the toughest race of the sequence. A reasonable case can be made for all eight of these 3-year-olds going seven furlongs under a first-level allowance condition (with a $75,000 claiming option), with maybe My Man Ira, a sharp debut winner here in October, deserving the most attention after being regrouped by Jose D’Angelo at Palm Meadows the last two months. Still, all the others have shown enough in limited action that some serious players might throw up their hands and just make this an “all” race.
Race 10
Fast as Flight was narrowly defeated in early December as the 2-1 favorite under almost identical conditions as presented here in this turf mile for fillies and mares. She clearly has come to hand for Brian Lynch and would be a reasonable Rainbow 6 single in the eyes of many players, although Traffic Song could prove an elusive catch when being sent from her rail post. Chad Brown weighs in here with Lady Day, who showed significant improvement when third in her local debut Dec. 29. Free Data and Love in the Air also warrant attention.
Race 11
You might want to pare down your selections in earlier races, because this 12-horse field that ends the sequence is a doozy.
Telendos and Mrs. Astor both have already shown an ability to close, and they form the core of lukewarm favorites in a wicked maiden-special finale going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. But you sure wouldn’t want to bet your life that some of these other 3-year-old fillies can’t win, a group that would have to include Sri Lanka, Sun Bee, Penumbras Maker, and Bel Rosso. Even first-time starters Heiress and Fancy will draw long looks.
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