By Jim Freer
Thursday, Aug. 20 – Gulfstream Park will begin a regular Thursday through Sunday race week today, with ten races and first post of 1:15 p.m.
All of today’s races are claiming. But there will be plenty of betting excitement because there is a Rainbow 6 carryover of $271,570.89. The Rainbow 6, a 20-cent only bet, is on today’s fifth through tenth races.
A Rainbow 6 ticket can have multiple horses per race, setting up multiple combinations. For example, a ticket with two horses per race has 64 combinations (at 20 cents each) and costs $12.80. The takeout on the Rainbow 6 is 20 percent.
Today’s card is a typical Thursday head-scratcher.
Here is our suggested Rainbow 6 ticket. If all horses go, the bet would be $86.40.
* Fifth –Majestic Z (8), Bishop’s Sleeves (7), Wild n’ Wild (1), Castlebrook’s Lion (6)
* Sixth — Wilshire Heir (5), Climate Change (7), Majestic Masquerade (4),
* Seventh — East Rock (1), Loud Pipes (4), Rednamite (2)
*Eighth — Storm Warnings (10), Abiceb Brothers (9)
* Ninth — Lying Eyes (10), Readyforthis (14)
* Tenth — R Quick Temper (8), Go Ro Ro Go (7), Saratoga Ransom (6)
Gulfstream pays out the full Rainbow 6 pool (day’s bets plus carryover) only on days when there is just one ticket with all six winners. On days when there are multiple tickets with six winners, 70 percent of the day’s pool is divided among holders of those tickets and the remaining 30 percent is added to the carryover.
On Sunday there were five Rainbow 6 tickets with all six winners – each paying $10,839.80.
Sunday was the 19th straight race day when there were multiple Rainbow 6 winners. The last day with a single winner was July 16 for a $164,483 payoff.
Wagering on the Rainbow 6 was $96,802 on Sunday. The prospect of a huge jackpot and the likelihood of a high payoff even if there are multiple winners could attract a high weekday betting of $50,000 or more on the Rainbow 6 today.
* Heading into today, Tyler Gaffalione leads Gulfstream jockeys with 32 wins in the summer meet that began July1and will end Oct. 3. Eddie Castro and Harry Herbande each have 27 and are tied for second place.
Ralph Nicks and Antonio Sano are tied for first in the trainer standings with 14 wins each. Frank Carl Calabrese leads trainers with seven wins, followed by Jacks or Better Farm with six.
* Gulfstream’s only stakes race this weekend is Saturday‘s $75,000 Gold Mover. It is six furlongs on dirt for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
The seven-horse field has two entrants that have won stakes at Gulfstream this year. Flutterby won the 6 ½ furlong Sea Lily on May 30 and finished second in the six furlong Princess Rooney Handicap (Grade 3) at Gulfstream on July 5. Celebrity Star won the 6 ½ furlong Sea Lily in May.
