April, 2023 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gulfstream Park: Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set For Sunday, Total Pool Could Swell To $5 Million

The Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park will conclude Sunday with an 11-race program featuring a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 Pool.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Saturday for the 19th consecutive racing day following a March 5 mandatory payout, leaving a jackpot carryover pool of $955,872 heading into Sunday. The Rainbow 6 pool could swell to more than $5 million.

On mandatory-payout days, the entire Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the wager's six-race sequence. The carryover jackpot is usually only 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Sunday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, kicked off by an optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred fillies and mares in Race 6. The 7 ½-furlong turf contest drew an evenly balanced field of eight that will encourage many handicappers to 'spread' a bit on their tickets. Riveting Spirit, the 7-2 favorite trained by Carlos David, won at this level two starts back before failing against open company. Steve Klesaris-trained Z First, a convincing winner for a $35,000 claiming price last time out, is rated second at 4-1. Roy Lerman-trained Any Port and Jose D'Angelo-trained Mia Camila, who finished a nose and neck behind Riveting Spirit, respectively, are also contenders.

Fly the W, a 7-year-old gelding who know how to win, is rated as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Race 7, a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming starter allowance on Tapeta for older horses. The Bobby Dibona trainee finished third on turf last time out after winning three in a row on Tapeta. Martin Drexler-trained Conglomerate is rated second at 7-2 after finishing second behind the favorite in their last meeting; Wicked Finn, who is coming off a starter handicap win; and Souper Energizer, a winner of two of his last three; appear to be players in the race.

A solid field of turf sprinters has been assembled for Race 8, an $87,000 optional claiming allowance for older horses going five-furlongs on turf. Kerri Raven-trained Chess Master, who won the Turf Dash at Tampa two back; Todd Pletcher-trained Meetmeinkingston, who has found his niche on turf in recent starts; and Nick Gonzalez-trained Silent Poet, a Grade 1 stakes winner who is set to make his 2023 debut; are among the top candidates.

Race 9, a six-furlong sprint for $8,000 claiming fillies and mares, is likely to be a popular 'spread' event. Drexler-trained Chasing Joy, who has finished first or second in nine off 16 career starts, is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the 11-horse field on the drop from $10,000 claiming company. Rapidly improving Sophia's Storm, who ran out her lifetime conditions with strong back-to-back wins with Chantal Sutherland aboard, tries open company.

Mark Casse-trained Get Smokin is the strongest morning-line favorite of the Rainbow 6 sequence at 8-5 in Race 10, an $87,000 optional claiming allowance on turf for older horses. The 6-year-old graded stakes winner drops from graded company to make his 2023 debut, but he will have to beat 11 rivals to prevail victoriously. Single? Or Spread?

Not a whole lot of information on the runners in Race 11, a five-furlong $84,000 maiden special weight race for 3-year-old fillies on turf that drew a field of 12 with seven first-time starters. Trainers Wesley Ward, Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse (2), Jonathan Thomas, Brendan Walsh and Guadalupe Preciado will be represented by debuters.

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Steady On Notches First Stakes Score In Appleton, Provides Irad Ortiz Fifth Win On Gulfstream Card

With a ground-saving, stalking trip aboard favorite Steady On, jockey Irad Oritz Jr. earned his fifth victory of the afternoon Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the $150,000 Appleton.

Steady On, co-owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, had close seconds in his three previous stakes tries for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Starting from Post 6, Ortiz promptly guided the 4-year-old son of Pioneerof the Nile to the rail and the colt ran along comfortably a few lengths off the pace set by Churchtown of :24.22, :47.52 and 1:10.43.

Coming off the second turn, Ortiz Jr. tipped Steady On to the outside and asked him to engage the leader. Steady On moved alongside 13-1 Churchtown and they raced together through the stretch until Steady On moved away for the win.

Steady On, bred by Springhouse Farm from the Storm Cat mare Wile Cat, reached the wire in 1:34.49 and paid $5.80 as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 11. Peter Brant and Joseph Allen's Fort Washington finished third.

Appleton Quotes:

Winning trainer Todd Pletcher (Steady On): “He got a beautiful trip, a ground-saving trip, and kicked on nicely. It worked out kind of how we talked before the race. He's a warrior. He shows up every time, and he even ran well a couple of times when they took it off the turf onto the synthetic. He just shows up and gives you a good effort every time.”

Winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Steady On): “Difficult to feel better than I do when winning in front of my family and so many dear ones that support me at all times. It's been an incredible afternoon, and hopefully there's still more to come.”

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‘A Horse That Loves To Run’: Closing Remarks Accelerates In Lane To Take Royal Heroine

Recently troubled but worry-free Saturday, Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks got a perfect trip in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita and responded with an authoritative 1½-length score under Joe Bravo.

Trained by Carla Gaines, Closing Remarks, the lone California-bred in the field, got one mile on turf in 1:34.82.

A much-troubled third at the same trip in the Buena Vista Stakes (G2) on March 4 at the Arcadia, Calif. track, Closing Remarks was a settled fourth early as recent allowance winner Honey Jar sped to the lead which she held to the quarter pole. On the move at that point and just two lengths off the lead, Closing Remarks wheeled four-deep into the lane and won as much best.

“She just leaves the gate so settled and relaxed,” said Bravo, who was aboard for the eighth consecutive time today. “Carla has done a great job bringing her around in each one of these races. She probably should have won her last one but we had a troubled trip in that race and today with a clean trip, she was tons (the best).

“She dropped down (to her left lead) turning for home and she exploded. There's nothing better than acceleration like that. A horse that loves to run, that's her.”

Placed in four out of her last five starts, all graded stakes, Closing Remarks was the 6-5 favorite in a field of six older fillies and mares today and paid $4.40 for the win.

A 5-year-old mare by Vronsky out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks, a Cal-bred stakes winner at age three, got her first graded victory in the Royal Heroine in her 12th try and improved her overall race record to 4-5-4 from 18 starts. With the winner's share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $554,820.

“It's really great because we bred her, her dam and her granddam,” said John Harris, a major player in California racing for more than 50 years. “I don't know if we're lucky or smart, but we are happy with the way it's going. … These graded stakes really make the game and it's nice to have a graded stakes win at Santa Anita. It is surreal.”

Attentive to the pace while third early, Phil D'Amato's School Dance saved ground to the top of the lane, tipped out three-wide turning for home but couldn't go with the winner while finishing second by a neck over Very Scary.

Fractions on the race were :23.44, :47.35, 1:11.05, and 1:23.06.

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Cox-Trained Angel Of Empire Overpowers Arkansas Derby Rivals

Under confident handling by Flavien Prat, Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire swept to contention with a four-wide rally rounding the final turn, took command from pace-setting Two Eagles River at the top of the stretch, then powered home for an easy 4 1/4-length victory in Saturday's $1,250,000, Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Trained by Brad Cox, Angel of Empire – a Pennsylvania-bred colt by 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire out of Armony's Angel, by To Honor and Serve – covered 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.68 and paid $11.40 to win.

King Russell, a 58-1 outsider trained by Ron Moquett, finished second, with Reincarnate third, Rocket Can fourth, and Airtime fifth in the field of 10 3-year-olds. Rocket Can, trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, was the 5-2 favorite, with Reincarnate, ridden by John Velazquez for Tim Yakteen, the 3-1 second choice. Third choice Red Route One, second in the Rebel for Steve Asmussen, wound up sixth while wearing blinkers for the first time.

Kolomio, a 30-1 morning line outsider, was scratched.

Angel of Empire earned 100 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, with the second through fifth-place finishers earning 40-30-20-10, respectively.

Updated Kentucky Derby/Oaks Leaderboard

The Arkansas Derby triumph by Angel of Empire gave Cox back-to-back wins in this important Derby prep, having won for the first time with Cyberknife in 2022. It was Prat's first Arkansas Derby victory. It was Cox's third stakes win on the Arkansas Derby card, having won the Hot Springs Stakes with Eyeing Clover and the G3 Fantasy – a Kentucky Oaks qualifying race – with Wet Paint. Prat was aboard the latter, giving him two stakes wins on the day.

Bred by Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp., Angel of Empire was a $70,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Warrendale Sales consignment. He came in to the Arkansas Derby off his initial stakes win in the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, rallying late to win by a half length. Prior to that he finished second in Oaklawn's Smarty Jones on Jan. 1, finishing three lengths behind Victory Formation.

Two Eagles River was sent to the early lead by Nik Juarez, setting uncontested fractions of :23.27, :47.26 aand 1:12.24 for the opening six furlongs. Reincarnate, a troubled third in the G2 Rebel in his last start, tried to press the frontrunner but could never get on equal terms as those led the way around the final turn.

Angel of Empire, who was seventh early, began to make up ground approaching the far turn, then made a wide, swooping move on the turn to get on equal terms with Two Eagles River entering the stretch. He quickly put away that rival, opened up by 2 1/2 lengths at the furlong pole after a mile in 1:37.56, then drew off for the win.

Arkansas Derby quotes:

Jason Loutsch, racing manager, co-owner of Albaugh Family Stables and son-in-law of stable principal Dennis Albaugh: “It's just really gratifying when you can win a Grade 1, especially the Arkansas Derby. This is a race we've been pointing at a long time and to win it is really special.”

(what kind of confidence will you have going into Louisville) “After seeing that race, I've got a lot of confidence. This is a horse I've been saying day 1 wants to get the distance. He showed that twice at a mile and an eighth . He just keeps running. I thought he ran a great race today, and I'm excited for the First Saturday in May.”

(Albaugh Family Stables also finished third Saturday in the Florida Derby with Cyclone Mischief and third in last week's Louisiana Derby with Jace's Road). “To have three potential starters in the Kentucky Derby is a dream come true. I just can't hardly believe it. I'm so thankful for my father in law, that he believed in us and got us to this point.”

Brad Cox (winning trainer, Angel of Empire): “It's huge. Big day. Very impressed with this horse, how he ran today. He came home quick, and he's a horse that the the longer the better. Looking forward to getting him to the Kentucky Derby in five weeks.”

(on progression) “Age. Just developing. The older he's getting the better he's getting, bottom line. I think he really took to six week's between races. He ran well here to start the year. He showed that he was going to want more ground…. Out of the Risen Star, I thought he was just maybe a little tucked up, a little tired. He's come around over the last three, four weeks. Now he's back in top form and very happy how he looked physically leading up to this.”

“It was a good group of horses. I didn't think there was a standout or a leader — obviously Forte is the leader of the division – (but) I felt it was a nice open race that anybody good step up and win it. And he stepped up. He was very impressive today. I always thought he'd be better with more ground and obviously he's 2 for 2 at a mile and an eighth. Hopefully we can be 1 for 1 at a mile and a quarter in five weeks.”

(Traits this horse brings into the Kentucky Derby?) “His mind. Just watching him in the paddock, I was telling Jason, 'He's a cool, calm horse. If there is anybody who can handle 150,000 people it would be this horse. And then the way he presented himself. Once he was tacked up, he was out in the infield, kind of got on his toes but didn't get hot. It was good energy.”

Winning Jockey Flavien Prat: “Jumped well and then we got ourselves in a good spot. Down the backside, I was traveling really well. Caught a little wide, but I was pleased going this way and I wasn't too worried about it. When I squeezed him turning for home, he really responded well and went on.”

Trainer Ron Moquett, second with King Russell: “That would be cool (going to the Kentucky Derby), but we've always wanted to try to win this race. So, if we've got a good shot, we're going to take a swing at it. (Rafael Bejarano) rode great. Beautiful horse. He's just improving. We know how tough these races are here. As we see when people ship out, they go and run well in stakes races across the country. So, we're proud of the way we represented today.”

Rafael Bejarano, jockey, second on King Russell: “There were tough horses in this race. I was mainly concerned about the 7 (Rocket Can) and the 6 (Angel of Empire). If they had a good trip, they were going to come flying and keep running. But I said my horse, he comes from behind. He loves this track. Every time he was running better and better. I just left him a lone, let him break good and make sure he had a good trip and find my position. At the half-mile, when I saw the 6 moving outside me, I said, 'Now I have to follow this horse.' Because he looked like he was running. I was in a great spot. Got out in the clear. The horse had a full turn of foot and was running good. I was really happy, especially for the trainer.”

Bill Mott, trainer, Rocket Can, fourth as the favorite: “Had a pretty good trip. Tick wide, but not bad. Really made it around the first turn pretty good. Had a clear trip. He moved up to third going around the (second turn) and then just couldn't find that other gear that he needed to go on. The winner (Angel of Empire) won pretty impressively, the way it looked, and we were very close for second. I think there's a little more there. And Junior (Alvarado) is the same. He (Rocket Can) gives you the feeling there's a little more there, but he's just not quite giving it all to you yet.”

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