A Pick 6 pool of more than $4-million-plus is likely at Del Mar Saturday following a nine-day run of carryovers that must be doled out on a “mandatory” pay day for the popular bet.
The pot will start out with $608,415 in carryover money in it and, if past history holds, it will draw additional wagers in the neighborhood of $3.5 million.
Normally a single ticket is required to win the bet, but on “mandatory” days everyone with the most winners collects.
The Pick 6 will be held tomorrow on Races 6 through 11. Post time for the start of the Pick Six is 4:34 p.m. PT.
First post tomorrow on a stakes doubleheader day will be 2 p.m.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $400,000 for Saturday's FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes program at Gulfstream Park.
The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 11 racing days since a lucky bettor hit the jackpot for a $118,521 payoff Friday, July 8.
Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, including the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen for fillies in Race 8 and the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager in Race 10.
David Fawkes-trained Trust Me, an impressive maiden special weight winner against open company, is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Desert Vixen, the first of the two stakes for 2-year-olds sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida. The daughter of The Big Best will face Carlos David-trained Lynx, a daughter of Brethren who defeated Trust Me while winning her debut, and Michael Yates-trained Go Lil Lady, a daughter of Cajun Breeze who drew off to win her debut by 7 ¼ lengths.
Trainer Kathleen O'Connell will saddle This Run's for You for the six-furlong Dr. Fager in search of her 13th career Florida Sire Stakes victory. This Run's for You is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of 10 fillies, including Juan Alvarado-trained Turbo and Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Knox, a pair of Arindel homebred sons of Brethren who are both coming off impressive debut victories.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
The Dr. Fager will be included in the Saturday's $2500 Six Pix, a free-to enter handicapping contest for XB Rewards members. Handicappers are challenged to pick the winners of the last three races (Races 9-11) at Gulfstream Park and the last three winners (Races 10-12) at Saratoga Race Course. The Saratoga Derby (G1), a 1 3/16-mile turf stakes carded as Race 11 at Saratoga, drew a field of 11 3-year-olds.
The fleet-footed Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) rebounded from a disappointing effort at Royal Ascot with a gritty victory in Saratoga's GIII Troy S. Friday. Away in good order, the 1-5 favorite stalked from a two-wide third as True Valour (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) clicked off a :21.93 opening quarter. Moving up to draw alongside the top two turning for home, Golden Pal locked horns with True Valour as their temporary threat Carotari (Artie Schiller) quickly found the waters too deep and backed out of it. Those two battled stride-for-stride to the line with Golden Pal getting the nod. Thin White Duke (Dominus) came running late to complete the trifecta. Carotari faded to last.
“He's got a brilliant mind this horse and takes everything in, but he knew it was race day,” said winning trainer Wesley Ward. “The plan was, unless he broke super sharp, that I'd like him to come from behind. Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] worked him from behind the last few times, so he knew he could do it. Julio Garcia, our main rider at home, works him from behind every week. I'm glad he showed a little versatility today. I'm glad Irad gave him a couple of reminders on the shoulder and got him going the last little part. Right after the race he gave him a little pet and a tap and he said there was a lot more left in him.”
He added, “You're always concerned [about the close finish], but I have a of confidence in this horse. He's certainly the best horse I've ever had. Every time you lead him over he proves more and more what a joy [it is] to be around a special horse like this. It would make every single trainer get up in the morning. He's a once in a lifetime horse and I've been blessed to have a few of them, but this guy is certainly the best.”
On a potential dirt start in the six-furlong GII Phoenix S. Oct. 7 at Keeneland, Ward said, “We'll talk it over with everyone involved in the ownership of the horse and see which direction they want to go, but it's important to them to show what the horse can do on the dirt as well. Through all these issues he's had throughout his career–minor issues–I've kept him on the grass to keep him sound, but he's never been as sound as he is now. It would be a good time to try him and it would be a good time to try him on his home track.”
“When they opened the gate he was moving at the same time and they outbroke me,” Ortiz said. “They were in front of me and that's not his style. He's always in front of everyone the first couple of jumps. We've been working covered up in behind horses, that was how Wesley wanted me to work the horse, and today when that happened I wasn't afraid to take a hold or drop in and sit and wait because I was working with the horse. It worked out good. He's pretty fast out of there; probably the fastest horse I ride on the turf in my whole career.”
As for the poor effort at Royal Ascot, Ortiz said, “Last time didn't work out, honestly, he missed the break. I was a little aggressive and he stopped bad, so we didn't want the same thing to happen. Wesley let me do whatever, he didn't say instructions or anything. I love riding for him. I felt somebody was coming [Thin White Duke], but my horse was fighting with the other horse [True Valour], but my horse was responding well, so I know he's going to be there if I ask him too.”
A neck short in the G2 Norfolk S. at the 2020 Royal meeting, Golden Pal captured the Skidmore S. at the Spa and the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint S. at Keeneland. Kicking off 2021 with a win in Saratoga's GIII Quick Call S., he was seventh when shipped across the pond for York's G1 Nunthorpe S., but returned to winning ways back at Keeneland in the GII Woodford S. last October. Securing his second win at the World Championships in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint S. at Del Mar, the son of Lady Shipman romped in Keeneland's GII Shakertown S. Apr. 9, but was eased to 16th as the heavy favorite after a slow start in the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot June 14.
Pedigree Notes:
Golden Pal is the first foal out of ultra-talented turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who came up just short in her Breeders' Cup bid, but won a total of eight stakes, including a track record-setting score in Saratoga's 5 1/2-panel Smart N Fancy S. That record of 1:00.46 was broken by Carotari in 2019, when he covered the distance in 1:00.21. Lady Shipman failed to get in foal to Gun Runner for 2019 and her 2020 Justify foal died. The 10-year-old mare produced an Omaha Beach colt now named Lieutenant General in 2021 and an Uncle Mo filly named Luvwhatyoudo in 2020. She was bred back to Essential Quality. Lady Shipman's MSP full-sister Just Talkin summoned $675,000 in foal to American Pharoah at the 2019 FTKNOV sale.
Friday, Saratoga TROY S.-GIII, $300,000, Saratoga, 8-5, 4yo/up, 5 1/2fT, 1:00.92, fm.
1–GOLDEN PAL, 124, c, 4, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Lady Shipman (GSW-Can, MSW & GISP-USA, $902,387), by Midshipman 2nd Dam: Sumthingtotalkabt, by Mutakddim 3rd Dam: Nannetta, by Falstaff
($325,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Westerberg Limited, Mrs.
John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith; B-Randall E
Lowe (FL); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $165,000.
Lifetime Record: GISW-US & GSP-GB, 11-7-2-0, $1,638,431. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.Werk Nick Rating: A+.
2–True Valour (Ire), 122, h, 8, Kodiac (GB)–Sutton Veny (Ire), by
Acclamation (GB). (19,000gns Wlg '14 TATFOA; €100,000 2yo
'16 GBMBR; $225,000 6yo '20 FTKHRA). O-R. Larry Johnson;
B-Mr P. O'Rourke (Ire); T-H. Graham Motion. $60,000.
3–Thin White Duke, 118, g, 4, Dominus–Aberdeen Alley, by
Distorted Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Philip A.
Gleaves, Steven Crist, Ken deRegt and Bryan Hilliard; B-Phil
Gleaves (NY); T-David G. Donk. $36,000.
Margins: HD, NK, HF. Odds: 0.30, 11.00, 30.25.
Also Ran: Arzak, Yes and Yes, Spycraft, Carotari. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
In his six previous wins in the United States, Golden Pal led at every call, but in Friday's Grade 3, $300,000 Troy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., the 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt had to really work to put his nose in front of Irish-bred True Valour in the final yards.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the Wesley Ward-trained Golden Pal hit the wire a head in front of True Valour and Feargal Lynch, stopping the timer in 1:00.92 for 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf. He paid $2.60 to win while recording his seventh career victory from 10 starts. The two-time Breeders' Cup winner (G2 Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2020 and G1 Turf Sprint in 2021) races for Westerberg Ltd., Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith. He's likely headed to another try in this year's Breeders' Cup at Keeneland.
Larry Johnson's True Valour, trained by Graham Motion, led every step until the last one, recording fractions of :21.93 for the opening quarter mile, :44.25 for the half and :55.20 for five furlongs. The 8-year-old by Kodiac is a well-traveled stakes veteran who came into the race with seven wins from 33 starts, including a Group III triumph in Ireland two graded stakes at Santa Anita (the G2 City of Hope Mile and G3 Thunder Road) in 2019.
Thin White Duke flew late from last under Jose Ortiz to finish just a neck behind the top pair in third, with Arzak also closing fast to be fourth, another half length further back. Yes and Yes, Spycraft and Carotari completed the order of finish.
Golden Pal, coming off a disastrous 16th-place finish in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot when Ortiz wasn't prepared for the start, broke a step slow again in the Troy. He sat third off True Valour and Carotari and made a three-wide move toward the lead rounding into the stretch.
Carotari backed out at the top of the lane and Ortiz allowed Golden Pal to drift toward the rail to tighten things up on True Valour as the two raced through the stretch. Ortiz slapped Golden Pal a couple times with his crop, then showed it to him the rest of the way while aggressively hand-riding the colt to the wire. True Valour was game under left-hand pressure from Lynch but just failed to last.
Golden Pal (outside) battles True Valour to the wire in the Troy
G3 Troy Quotes
Wesley Ward, winning trainer of Golden Pal (No. 5, $2.60*): “He's got a brilliant mind this horse and takes everything in, but he knew it was race day. The plan was, unless he broke super sharp, that I'd like him to come from behind. Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] worked him from behind the last few times, so he knew he could do it. Julio Garcia, our main rider at home, works him from behind every week. I'm glad he showed a little versatility today. When you get to the Breeders' Cup there's so many fast horses – 14 of them in the race – and you just want to be able to be tactical and not have to be in front. I think we showed that today.
“I'm glad Irad gave him a couple of reminders on the shoulder and got him going the last little part. Right after the race he gave him a little pet and a tap and he said there was a lot more left in him.
“You're always concerned [about the close finish], but I have a of confidence in this horse. He's certainly the best horse I've ever had. Every time you lead him over he proves more and more what a joy [it is] to be around a special horse like this. It would make every single trainer get up in the morning. He's a once in a lifetime horse and I've been blessed to have a few of them, but this guy is certainly the best.
“With how he breaks so fast it's tough to make a plan, but he [Irad Ortiz, Jr.] said his first step away from there he kind of stumbled and he took advantage of that. We got to the outside. A lot of times you stumble and you get behind horses and stuck in a trap and then you're in trouble. But we were fortunate when that happened we drew an outside post like that and there was nothing in front of him.”
On a potential dirt start in the six-furlong Grade 2 Phoenix on October 7 at Keeneland: “We'll talk it over with everyone involved in the ownership of the horse and see which direction they want to go, but it's important to them to show what the horse can do on the dirt as well.
“Through all these issues he's had throughout his career – minor issues – I've kept him on the grass to keep him sound, but he's never been as sound as he is now. It would be a good time to try him and it would be a good time to try him on his home track.”
Irad Ortiz, Jr., winning jockey aboard Golden Pal (No. 5): “He moved a step right when they opened the gates. When they opened the gate he was moving at the same time and they outbreak me. They were in front of me and that's not his style. He's always in front of everyone the first couple of jumps. We've been working covered up in behind horses, that was how Wesley wanted me to work the horse, and today when that happened I wasn't afraid to take a hold or drop in and sit and wait because I was working with the horse.
“I'd worked him twice and it was no problem in the morning. He relaxed well and he finished good, so I wasn't afraid. Thankfully, Wesley let me work the horse and know him a little more. I've never worked him too much but the last couple weeks I've been working with him.
“Wesley is the one who told me, 'I want to take back' but I said, 'Wesley we can't,' but today was the day. It worked out good. He's pretty fast out of there; probably the fastest horse I ride on the turf in my whole career. He's so fast. He just moved to the right when they opened the gates so I had to go to plan B.
“Last time didn't work out, honestly, he missed the break. I was a little aggressive and he stopped bad, so we didn't want the same thing to happen. Wesley let me do whatever, he didn't say instructions or anything. I love riding for him. I felt somebody was coming [No. 7, Thin White Duke], but my horse was fighting with the other horse [No. 6, True Valour] but my horse was responding well, so I know he's going to be there if I ask him too.”
Feargal Lynch, jockey aboard runner-up True Valour (No. 6): “He got the lead. I was expecting Golden Pal to go, but when I saw I cleared him out of the gate I wasn't going to disappoint the horse in his grind. He got it very easy in front and when we kicked I thought we'd won it. For an 8-year-old, we're two old men in the twilight of our career and we're just enjoying it.”
David Donk, trainer of third-place Thin White Duke [No. 7] and fifth-place Yes and Yes [No. 2]: “He [Thin White Duke] ran huge. It was a big effort. That's what he wants to do, is sprint on the grass.”
