Gulfstream | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mandatory Payout, Million-Dollar Carryover In Saturday’s Rainbow 6 At Gulfstream Park

A mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 will be held at Gulfstream Park Saturday, when the pool is expected to swell into the millions.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved for the 13th racing day in a row Friday, when multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $772.70.

When Rainbow 6 betting begins Saturday, there will already be a pool of $1,066,988.63 carried over from Friday's card.

The Rainbow 6 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. 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.

Saturday's Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, highlighted by the $100,000 Tropical Turf (G3) in Race 10.

Admission Office, who ran in the Pegasus Turf and finished second twice in Grade 2 stakes at Gulfstream Park last year, is set for a return from a six-month layoff since winning the Louisville (G3) at Churchill Downs. Tusk, the defending Tropical Turf champion; and Ride a Comet, the 2018 Del Mar Derby (G2) winner who came off a two-year layoff to win both 2020 starts on Woodbine's synthetic surface; are other prominent contenders.

The Rainbow 6 sequence kicks off in Race 6, a five-furlong $20,000 claiming race on turf dash for older fillies and mares. Just Smok'n, who broke her maiden during last year's Championship Meet, drops into a claiming race for the first time while coming off an eight-month layoff. Henni Penny is set to make her debut for trainer Kathleen O'Connell while dropping from $40,000 claiming company.

A full field of 12 3-year-olds has been assembled for Race 7, a mile maiden special weight event. Todd Pletcher-trained First Task, a son of Uncle Mo; Chad Brown-trained Rosenquist, also a son of Uncle Mo, are scheduled to make their respective debuts. Pletcher is also slated to saddle Bracken, who overcame trouble to finish second behind highly regarded stablemate Prime Factor last time out.

A five-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf with a full field of older horses follows in Race 8. Big Drink of Water, who came off a year-layoff to dominate a field of $35,000 claimers Dec. 17; Pletcher-trained Freewheeler, an allowance winner at Belmont two starts back; and Ian Wilkes-trained Chief Howcome, who finished third in an allowance over Churchill's main track following a maiden score on turf at Indiana Downs; are among the contenders in what appears to be a 'spread' race.

A seven-furlong starter allowance in Race 9 will be contested by eight older horses, including Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Town Classic, a close second in the Claiming Crown Rapid Transit.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will conclude in Race 10, a $25,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf that appears to be a wide-open race.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $26,167.55 heading into Saturday's program.

WHO'S HOT: Paco Lopez made four visits to the winner's circle following victories aboard Jr Speed ($11.20) in Race 1, Reservenotattained ($2.80) in Race 6, Bramble Berry ($5) in Race 8 and Golovkin ($9) in Race 10.

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Stronach 5: 16 Winning Tickets Each Return $6,382

There were 16 winning tickets in Friday's popular Stronach 5, each returning $6,382.70.

The largest payoff in the five-race sequence featuring races from Laurel Park, Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park and an industry-low 12-percent takeout was $9.20.

Friday's sequence kicked off with Wonderwall, a 3-year-old filly from the barn of leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, winning Laurel's eighth race followed by Candygramformongo winning Laurel's ninth race.

The Stronach 5 moved to Santa Anita Park for its third race. Reddam Racing LLC's That Corey, a 3-year-old son of Square Eddie who finished second at Del Mar last time out, ran away from nine others on a mile turf course to break his maiden.

The last two legs were both contested at Gulfstream over the turf. Star Weaver, a lightly-raced 4-year-old by Dialed In, led gate-to-wire to win the ninth race for his second victory in his last three starts. The sequence concluded with Gulfstream's 10th race and Golovkin holding off Lord of War by a nose.

Friday's races and sequence

· Leg One – Laurel Park 8th Race: Wonderwall $9

· Leg Two –Laurel Park 9th Race: Candygramformongo $9

· Leg Three –Santa Anita 3rd Race: That Corey $6.20

· Leg Four –Gulfstream Park 9th Race: Star Weaver $9.20

· Leg Five –Gulfstream West 10th Race: Golovkin $9

Fans can watch and wager on the action at 1/ST.COM/BET as well as stream all the action in English and Spanish at LaurelPark.com, SantaAnita.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and GoldenGateFields.com.

The Stronach 5 In the Money podcast, hosted by Jonathan Kinchen and Peter Thomas Fornatale, will be posted by 2 p.m. Thursday at InTheMoneyPodcast.com and will be available on iTunes and other major podcast distributors

The minimum wager on the multi-race, multi-track Stronach 5 is $1. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

If a change in racing surface is made after the wagering closes, each selection on any ticket will be considered a winning selection. If a betting interest is scratched, that selection will be substituted with the favorite in the win pool when wagering closes.

The Maryland Jockey Club serves as host of the Stronach 5.

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‘He Surprises Me Every Day’: Maryland-Bred Harpers First Ride Headed To Pegasus World Cup

MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride, a four-time stakes winner in 2020 including the historic Pimlico Special (G3), is set to launch his 5-year-old season in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Saturday, Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park.

Based at Laurel Park with trainer Claudio Gonzalez, Harpers First Ride was among the invitees to the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up, being held for the fifth consecutive year. Also on the list is another Maryland-bred, 2020 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Knicks Go.

Harpers First Ride ended 2020 with back-to-back stakes victories at Laurel in the 1 1/16-mile Richard W. Small Nov. 28 and 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer Dec. 26.

“He came back really good after the last race, that's why we try to go to the Pegasus,” Gonzalez said. “It's a big race. It all depends. If he continues like how he's doing, we're going to go.”

The Pegasus will be the third time in graded-stakes company and first against Grade 1 competition for Harpers First Ride, who Gonzalez claimed for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs.

“The first time he ran over there he ran good, and he was a Maryland-bred. Why not bring him here?” Gonzalez said of the reason behind claiming the gelded son of Grade 1 winner Paynter. “What's he doing over there? So, we decide to claim the horse.”

Harpers First Ride won seven of 11 races in 2020 with two seconds, one third and $495,623 in purse earnings, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He won the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony Sept. 5 at Laurel as a prep for the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, where he dueled up front with favored Owendale to win by two lengths.

“He surprises me every day. Every day he goes better,” Gonzalez said. “He comes back from the races like nothing. He's easy to train. He's a classy horse. He does everything right.”

Gonzalez said the plans call for Harpers First Ride to breeze at Gulfstream and have regular rider Angel Cruz aboard for the Pegasus. Cruz has been up for each of Harpers First Ride's last five wins and all four stakes.

“He knows the horse really good. And for me it's better that he rides, and I think that he will,” Gonzalez said. “The plan is to go 10 days before the race to give him a breeze over there and let him get to know the racetrack and get used to the weather change. Here it's cold and over there it's going to be hot. That's why we plan that. It gives him a couple of days to adjust.”

Claimed by Gonzalez for $30,000 out of a Sept. 14, 2019 win at Churchill Downs, MCA Racing Stable's Harpers First Ride won for the seventh time in 11 starts in 2020, four of those wins coming in stakes – the Deputed Testamony, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer at Laurel and Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course.

A gelded 4-year-old son of Grade 1 winner Paynter, Harpers First Ride has earned $495,623 this year, growing his career bankroll to $573,055. He will figure in the conversation for Maryland-bred Horse of the Year along with Knicks Go, who went three-for-three in the Midwest this year topped by a victory in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

“The horse surprises me every race he runs. Every race he runs better and better. He walked today and he walked like he knows he won. It's really good when you see that,” Gonzalez said. “He won four stakes, he won the Pimlico Special, and all the stakes he won he won good. It's the first time I've had a horse like that. With Harpers, every day is special. From the day we claimed him, he started doing good.”

Among the early 2021 stakes for 4-year-olds and up going a route of ground at Laurel are the $75,000 Jennings for Maryland-bred/sired horses at one mile Jan. 16, the $100,000 John B. Campbell at about 1 1/16 miles Feb. 13 and $100,000 Harrison E. Johnson Memorial at 1 1/8 miles March 13. Gonzalez said the connections will keep all their options open for the soon-to-be 5-year-old.

“He proved that he won his races easy and maybe he has to take the next step and race with the big guys and see how he does,” he said.

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Hall Of Famer Javier Castellano Planning Mid-February Return To The Saddle

Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, out since mid-November following leg surgery, said he expects to resume riding the second week of February at Gulfstream Park.

Castellano, 43, won a record five consecutive Championship Meet riding titles at Gulfstream from 2011-12 through 2015-16. He had arthroscopic surgery to clean up some debris in his right leg, near the hip, Nov. 16 in New York, where he remains in recovery.

“I'm doing physical therapy right now and I feel really good. It's a process,” Castellano said. “I want to come back 100 percent. I could have come back two or three weeks earlier, but there's no point to rush. When I made the decision to do this I wanted to do it 100 percent right.

“I plan to come back in February. In the beginning of February I'm planning to start getting on some horses, and we're pointing for the second week to start riding at Gulfstream,” he added. “I'm looking forward to it.”

The timing of Castellano's return would have him available for two of Gulfstream's biggest races, both for 3-year-olds with Triple Crown aspirations – the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 and the $750,000 Florida Derby (G1) March 27.

Castellano won the 2014 Florida Derby with Constitution and the 2017 Fountain of Youth with Gunnevera.

“We want to go to the Fountain of Youth,” he said. “The main goal is to go to the Fountain of Youth and ride the good races and the Florida Derby, that's the second goal. Hopefully we can pick something up and move forward.”

Castellano ended 2020 with 108 wins and more than $12.4 million in purse earnings from 640 mounts, boosting his career totals to 5,328 wins and a bankroll of nearly $355 million. He said the decision to have his surgery in late fall came with the future in mind.

“We're looking at the long term and just be patient, not rush back and ride too quick. Thank God, knock on wood I've never had any surgeries in the past,” Castellano said. “I made the decision because I wanted to take care of my body and be able to ride 10 more years. I feel great. This surgery is to prevent something for the future.

“I could have kept riding four, five, six years and it wouldn't have bothered me, but the doctors were saying that at the end of my career I'd have to have big surgery like a hip replacement or something like that. I didn't want to end my career like that,” he added. “This was able to take care of little issues and be able to move forward. I will be able to ride longer and when my career is over, I'll have no pain. I can play golf, I can walk, everything.”

Castellano had 23 wins and ranked eighth with $1.458 million in purse earnings during the 2019-2020 Championship Meet. The four-time Eclipse Award winner said he and his medical team have been pleased with his recovery.

“The first week [in Florida] I'm going to go see the doctor and make sure that they give me the OK to come back to ride, but the physical therapist and the doctor have been communicating all the time,” he said. “Every week I've been reaching my goals quicker and that's good news. I recovered really quick, faster than an average person because a jockey's life is all about doing exercises and eating well and taking care of your body. I think that helped me progress quicker.”

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