A mandatory payout in the Rainbow 6, currently featuring a Maryland state record carryover jackpot, has been scheduled for Sunday's stakes-filled Independence Day holiday program at historic Pimlico Race Course.
Entering Friday's eight-race program that begins at 12:40 p.m., the jackpot stands at $1,351,928.63. The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 25 consecutive racing days since being hit for a $23,346.70 payout May 7.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
However, on mandatory payout days the entire pool is paid out to the bettor or bettors with the most winners in the six-race sequence.
Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 has far surpassed its previous state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.
Friday's Rainbow 6 will span Races 3-8. The sequence opens with a waiver maiden claimer for 2-year-old fillies sprinting five furlongs on the main track, and includes two races scheduled for one mile over the turf course which drew a total of 28 entries.
Highlighting the Independence Day stakes are a pair of six-furlong springs – the $100,000 Concern for 3-year-olds featuring Mighty Mischief, winner of the May 15 Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico, and $100,000 Lite the Fuse for 3-year-olds and up led by record-setting 2020 Chick Lang winner Yaupon. Both horses are trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
Other stakes are the $100,000 Caesar's Wish for fillies and mares 3 and up going 1 1/16 miles and $75,000 Jameela for Maryland-bred/sired females 3 and older scheduled for five furlongs on the grass. The Lite the Fuse and Caesar's Wish are both part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.
Woodbine Racetrack's Canada Day lineup on Thursday has been bolstered by a $66,725.27 carryover for the Pick-5.
The $66,725.27 carryover comes from last Sunday's card after no horseplayers were able to nail down a five-of-five winning ticket. This marks the second carryover in less than a week for the Woodbine Pick-5. Horseplayers wagered $531,705 on last Friday's Pick-5, which featured a similar carryover to this Thursday's offering.
Woodbine and the Daily Racing Form have partnered to provide free past performance program pages for Thursday's entire eight-race card. The Pick-5, which features a $0.20 minimum, will start in Race 2. The free past performance pages can be downloaded here.
Thursday's feature race is the Grade 3 $150,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Race 7), headlined by reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Mighty Heart.
Woodbine will also welcome back spectators for the first time in 2021 on Thursday, as the track is now permitted to host 25 per cent of its outdoor capacity under Ontario's current 'Roadmap to Reopen' plan.
Post time for Thursday's eight race card is 1:20 p.m (ET).
The Pick 6 on Friday's card at Belmont Park will be bolstered by a $52,382 carryover, as the multi-race wager went unsolved on Thursday.
The $1 Pick 6, implemented at the current 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet, returned $431.50 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.
Thursday's sequence kicked off with Make Or Break [No. 5, $12] winning a one-turn claiming mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 4 under Benjamin Hernandez for trainer Antonio Arriaga.
In Race 5, the 6-5 mutuel favorite Regal Speaker [No. 3, $4.40] proved best in a nine-furlong inner turf allowance for state-breds 3-years-old and up. Irad Ortiz, Jr. engineered the winning trip for trainer Danny Gargan.
Theodora Grace [No. 11, $7.30] captured Race 6, a seven-furlong maiden claimer on the Widener turf for state-bred fillies and mares 3-year-old and up, under Jose Ortiz for conditioner Tom Albertrani. Sent to post as the second choice in the wagering, Theodora Grace got the jump on slow-starting 2-1 mutuel favorite Write This Down [No. 10.]
Flat Awesome Jenny [No. 3, $7.10] collared pacesetter Daria's Angel in the final jumps to win a one-turn claiming mile for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 7. Ortiz, Jr. provided the winning ride for trainer Orlando Noda.
Popular New York-bred Robin Sparkles [No. 5, $5.70], sent to post as the 9-5 mutuel favorite, won an open company allowance optional-claimer in frontrunning fashion in Race 8. With Ortiz up for trainer Bruce Brown, Robin Sparkles covered six furlongs on the inner turf in a swift 1:07.14.
With only four horses covered [Nos. 1,7, 8 and 13] in the final leg of the Pick 6, Mazal Eighteen [No. 9, $8.40] scored as the 3-1 mutuel favorite over 6-1 Lemon Taffy [No. 1] in Race 9. Dylan Davis authored the win for trainer Joseph Lee in the seven-furlong maiden claimer on the Widener turf for state-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.
Featuring a $1 bet minimum and 15 percent takeout, the Pick 6 wager requires bettors to select the first-place finisher of six designated races on the card. A total of 75 percent of the full pool, minus takeout, will be distributed to bettors who select the first-place finisher of all six races. A consolation payout of 25 percent of the net pool will be distributed to tickets selecting 5-of-6 winners.
In the event there are no tickets with six winners, there will be a carryover of 75 percent of the net pool into the next day of the meet with the remaining 25 percent of the net pool distributed as a consolation payout to tickets selecting the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races on the card. On carryover days, the Pick 6 is offered with a 24 percent takeout.
The $1 Pick 6 replaced the Empire 6, a jackpot style wager featuring a $0.20 bet minimum first offered in August 2019 at Saratoga Race Course.
Friday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 4 at 2:31 p.m. Eastern in a sequence that features four turf races, including a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on the Widener turf for sophomore fillies offering a purse of $92,000. First post on the nine-race card is 1 p.m.
Live racing returns to historic Pimlico Race Course Friday to kick off the final weekend of June with another opportunity to take down a Maryland state record carryover jackpot in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 that has swelled to $1,253,882.76.
Post time for the first of eight races Friday is 12:40 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 22nd consecutive racing day during the last live action on the June 20 Father's Day program, when another $150,942 was bet into the popular multi-race wager on top of a $1,205,592.51 carryover.
Sunday saw five favorites win in the six-race sequence, producing multiple winning tickets of $106.82.
Last solved for a $23,346.70 payout May 7, the Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico's spring meet, the Rainbow 6 has far surpassed its previous state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.
Friday's Rainbow 6 covers Races 3-8 and opens with a five-furlong claiming sprint on turf for maiden fillies and mares age 3, 4 and 5 (1:37 p.m.). Appropriately, Likely Choice is favored at 9-5 on the morning line for trainer Kelly Rubley, having run second in her turf debut over the course and distance May 22. Bourbon Wildcat, yet to race on grass, was beaten a nose in a six-furlong maiden claimer last December in her most recent start.
Race 4 (2:09 p.m.) is a 5 ½-furlong claiming sprint for fillies and mares 3 and up which have never won three races, or 3-year-old fillies. Long Point Beach is the 9-5 program favorite, returning to the main track after finishing off the board in a one-mile grass claimer May 23 at Pimlico racing first time off the claim for trainer Hugh McMahon. Jeanie's Angel has been favored in both her starts this year after relocating from South Florida, winning her season debut May 23 and running second by a half-length June 13, both six furlongs.
An overflow field of 15 3-year-olds and up was entered in Race 5 (2:40 p.m.), a starter-optional claimer scheduled for one mile on the grass. Among the group are Tusk, winner of the 2020 Tropical Turf (G3) at Gulfstream Park exiting on off-the-grass win May 30 at Pimlico; Beltway Bob, racing first time since capturing the Maryland Million Turf Starter Handicap last October at Laurel Park; King Bubble, first off the claim for leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, who connects at 28 percent with those runners; and Mokheef, a last-out eighth in the June 13 Prince George's County.
The feature comes in Race 6 (3:12 p.m.), a second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles that drew 10 horses including the quartet of Coal Truth, Clubman, Forest Fire and V.I.P. Ticket, all stakes winners who have combined for 33 victories and nearly $1.3 million in purse earnings from 134 career starts. Hanalei's Houdini drops out of a popular win first off the claim for owner-trainer Kieron Magee May 31 at Pimlico.
Race 7 (3:45 p.m.) is a scheduled 1 1/16-mile turf allowance for 3-year-olds and up where Dig Charlie Dig is narrowly favored at 5-2 on the morning line over Dream Big Dreams. Dig Charlie Dig, trained by Jamie Ness, is winless in six starts this year, four of them seconds including each of his last three. Dream Big Dreams broke his maiden for trainer Brittany Russell in a May 14 maiden special weight at Laurel and most recently was beaten a half-length when second facing older horses for the first time in a restricted allowance May 29 at Pimlico.
Maryland Jockey Club host and analyst Naomi Tukker has her price play in Race 7, Benny Havens (6-1), making his second start off an eight-month layoff after finishing a troubled seventh June 19 at Pimlico.
“He was taking on some high-quality sprinters in that last event, so I like him in this spot,” she said.
The sequence wraps up in Race 8 (4:17 p.m.), a 1 1/16-mile claimer for 3-year-olds and up which have never won two races. The heavy 3-5 program favorite is My Sacred Place, who will wear blinkers in his second start for Russell after racing once last year on the grass for trainer Brad Cox. In his first start in 330 days, My Sacred Place was in contention early, dropped back and then came on again to be third in a one-mile claimer May 30 at Belmont Park.
My Sacred Place is Tukker's must-use horse in the sequence.
“It doesn't seem like there's that much pace in the race, so I like the idea of him moving forward and hopefully leaving them all scrambling in behind,” she said.
