Rainbow 6 has mandatory payout; three new wagers in sequence

Gulfstream Park announced changes to its racing schedule last week and will run its inaugural Monday card on July 13. In addition to three new wagers with a 15 percent takeout, the 20-cent Rainbow 6 will feature a mandatory payout with an expected six-figure pool.

The first Monday Rainbow 6 is sure to provide an eclectic gauntlet for bettors, forcing them to parse through several evenly matched fields with minimal options to single. The six-race sequence also will partially affect those exploring Gulfstream’s three new wagers – the $5 late daily double, the $3 late pick three, and the $1 Place Pick 8, which requires a bettor to select the winner or runner-up in the final eight races on the card.

The Rainbow 6 begins the race week on Saturday with a carryover of $52,189. Monday’s Rainbow 6 starts in the fourth race with a competitive first-level allowance for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

Only one runner in the field of seven ran on the grass last time out. The Patrick Biancone-trained filly Spicy Princess finished sixth in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February. She and Bayou Brigid, the third-place finisher in the $75,000 Martha Washington last month, are the only 3-year-olds in the lineup.

Olivia Valentina, a 4-year-old filly trained by Carlos Perez, has ample turf experience but has not run on the surface since March, when she rallied for fifth in the $150,000 Sand Springs at Gulfstream with an 80 Beyer Speed Figure. She then finished well back in a first-level allowance at Keeneland and returned to Gulfstream in June to finish second while chasing slow fractions in an allowance on synthetic.

Calathea is the only runner in the field without turf experience, though she won three straight races on synthetic between January and April for trainer Murat Sancal. She was cross-entered in Saturday’s Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream and will be a pace presence in whichever race her trainer chooses.

In the fifth, the first of two $10,000 claiming races on synthetic, eight horses in the field of 12 are coming out of two claiming races in June. Four of them, led by the 5-year-old gelding Titan, ran for an $8,000 tag, while the other four, led by the 3-year-old Complexed, finished well back for $16,000. They are joined by last-out conditioned claiming winners Dimanche Gras and Candy Addiction.

The sixth race is the first of two maiden special weights, a five-furlong turf sprint for juveniles. None of the seven 2-year-olds have run more than twice, and first-time starters High Ambition and Lord Henry will likely receive attention. Both have shown promise in their early workouts, with Lord Henry improving on synthetic for Joe Orseno while High Ambition has been pumping in shorter runs on dirt for Jose D’Angelo.

Vermont, a Vekoma colt trained by Mark Casse, ran third on synthetic in his first start June 26.

The seventh race marks the start of the $3 late pick three and is the second $10,000 claiming race on synthetic. It is not much easier than the first. The 6-year-old gelding Navy Cross won at the level in March but will have to improve after a dull front-running effort last month.

Toward the outside, Bettera will try to repeat after winning for a $10,000 tag on June 20, while Saratoga Flash will drop in class after finishing third in a $20,000 claiming race in May.

The puzzle in the eighth, a conditioned $30,000 claiming race on dirt, will revolve around Sonic Surge, who will take a sharp drop in class in his first start against older rivals for Bobby Dibona. The 3-year-old gelding finished fourth in the $100,000 Carry Back last month.

If he doesn’t take advantage, last-out maiden-claiming winners R Winchester or Brushfire could kick-start winning streaks, as well as many late daily double wagers. Supreme Honor, a 3-year-old colt trained by Ruben Sierra, also likely deserves another chance after a disappointing effort against winners last time out.

The ninth race and final leg of the Rainbow 6 is a maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies, and it could be the most straightforward. Elenique is a clear standout for Patrick Biancone, and though she has had her chances in seven career starts, she is clearly the filly to beat.