The Rainbow Pick 6 will have a mandatory payout on Monday at Gulfstream Park (Photo: Gulfstream Park)
The pool for Monday’s 20-cent Rainbow Pick 6 at Gulfstream Park could reach $16 million or more if it is not hit on Sunday (which seems unlikely), making it the biggest potential payoff in history.
I am not a big fan of these jackpot wagers that require having the unique ticket in order to take down the pool. But any time there is a mandatory payout, the wager is worth taking a big jump into the pool.
The record single payout to a Rainbow 6 winner is $3,591,245.44, which occurred on Feb. 22, 2013. On July 2, 2007 at Hollywood Park the Pick 6 pool hit $10,870,852.60. There were 13 winners and each ticket was worth $576,064.40.
Gulfstream Park’s Rainbow 6 had a mandatory payout on April 23, 2011 with a $1.4 million carryover. The total pool that afternoon jumped to $5.1 million after $3.5 million was bet into it. There were 1,311 winning tickets each worth $3,279.26.
Before scratches the six-race sequences has fields of 12-11-12-11-12-12, and several of the races have also-eligibles, and there are no free squares.
The first race of the sequence is the fifth race with a post of 4:05pm (ET), a maiden special weight race on turf for three-year-olds and upward. The Ralph Nicks trained Steel N Pack is the 3-1 morning line favorite off a runner up finish in his debut. However the colt made his debut for $50,000 and steps up in class.
The sixth race is also a maiden special weight affair, going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track for fillies and mares. The race features three first time starters, with Pekinesa the 5-2 morning line favorite. The filly is coming off three consecutive runner up finishes.
It is back on turf for the seventh race, a $62,500 optional claimer that drew a dozen along with one also-eligible. Philly Ace is the 5-2 morning line favorite but drew the 12 post, while second choice Joes Blazing Aaron (3-1) has lost 13 in a row.
The eighth race is the cheapest race on the card, with restricted $6,250 claimers going six furlongs on the main track. The Peter Walder trained Karla and Me is the 3-1 favorite and is taking the class plunge after running for $25,000 in his first start for the barn.
The ninth race features a full field of first level optional claimers going 1 1/16 miles on turf. Cage Fighter (5-2) comes in having won three of his last four starts for the Mike Maker barn. His biggest threat appears to be Balthazar (3-1) who makes his second start off the bench.
Good luck, as the finale is a $12,500 maiden race on turf. Maker sends out Tohaveandtohold (3-1), who was off poorly in her debut and came with a good late run to finish third. She may end up getting overbet, so this may be a race to spread.
My full card report for Monday’s Gulfstream Park card is now available.
Michael Dempsey’s Belmont Park Reports
Michael’s Belmont Park Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Michael has been handicapping the New York circuit on a daily basis for nearly three decades.
Belmont Park Spring/Summer Meet Special: Michael’s full card reports for the entire spring/summer meeting at Belmont Park from now until July 13. The package includes the Belmont Stakes Day card along with three new events – the Belmont Stakes Festival on June 6-8, Stars & Stripes Day on July 5 and a May 11 Mother’s Day card featuring three graded stakes. In all, the schedule contains 62 stakes races worth $17.95 million, including 16 overnight stakes with purses of $100,000 each.
