Robert Fox faced every racing announcer's worst nightmare during a violent downpour on Saturday at Ruidoso Downs: the rain began coming down so hard he could no longer see the field for the fourth race — or the starting gate. Fox said he knew the field had loaded into and broken from the gate because he could see the timer begin going, although at one point that also flickered.
“I have a little bit of a view at the head of the lane and I'll let you know from there,” Fox said as he squinted through rain falling off the announcer's booth, waiting for the horses to appear.
The shadow of horses appeared to Fox around the quarter pole, with Lemon Drop Gold leading the way by open lengths to break her maiden in memorable fashion. How she got there is known only to jockey Christian Ramos, since the official chart caller was also unable to see the field.
“I knew when there was a solid quarter time running, the race had to be going,” Fox said. “From there it was just trying to pick up a horse, like a 'shark watcher.' I think you can hear the excitement in my voice when I finally spotted the first horse.”
Sunday's Pick 6 will be bolstered by a $130,681 carryover as the multi-race wager went unsolved on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
The $1 Pick 6, implemented at the current 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet, returned $21,780 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.
Saturday's Pick 6 sequence kicked off in Race 5 when longshot True Palace [No. 6, $37.60] lit up the tote board for a $30,000 tag for owner-trainer Darmindra Dharamjit.
Luis Saez picked up his second win on the card with Bodecream [No. 10, $14.40] for trainer Mike Maker and Repole Stable in a one-mile allowance optional claiming tilt originally scheduled for the turf in Race 6.
Alcools [No. 4, $11.40] prevailed by 3 ½ lengths for trainer Peter Miller with jockey Flavien Prat aboard. The son of Gemologist raced for a $20,000 claiming tag going 6 ½ furlongs over the main track in Race 7.
Race 8 saw Woodslane Farm's Wolfie's Dynaghost [No. 3, $10.80] lead gate-to-wire in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming event moved off the turf for trainer Tom Albertrani. The son of Ghostzapper and half-brother to multiple graded stakes-winner Sadler's Joy prevailed by two lengths.
Truth Hurts [No. 5, $18.00] won an off-the-turf edition of the $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes for fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward. The Tonalist filly earned her first stakes triumph and third overall victory for trainer and co-owner Chad Summers. The victory gave Saez his third win of the program.
Closing out the sequence in Race 10, Max Player [No. 5, $25.60] fought gamely down the lane with Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide to capture the $400,000 Grade 2 Suburban for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen with Ricardo Santana, Jr. aboard.
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 in Saratoga Spring, N.Y.
Sunday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 5 at 3:02 p.m. Eastern and includes the $100,000 Manila for 3-year-olds over the Widener turf course in Race 9 as well as the $250,000 Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes for 4-year-olds and upward going seven furlongs over the main track in the tenth-race finale. First post on Sunday's card is 1 p.m. Eastern.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $150,000 on Sunday's Fourth of July program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for the second consecutive racing day following last Wednesday's mandatory payout.
The jackpot pool is 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 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, featuring the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint in Race 9. Patrick Biancone-trained Ete Indien, who captured the 2020 Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes over Gulfstream's main track, is scheduled to return from a 12 ½-month layoff in the five-furlong turf dash. The son of Summer Front broke his maiden in his debut at five furlongs on turf at Gulfstream.
Glen Hill Farm's Caribou Club is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. The multiple graded-stakes winner is coming off a victory in a May 22 overnight handicap at the five-furlong distance on turf.
A mandatory payout of the Maryland state record Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot, four stakes worth $375,000 in purses, and food and beer specials will provide plenty of sizzle on Sunday's Independence Day holiday program at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.
Post time for the first of 11 races is 12:40 p.m.
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 carryover jackpot ballooned to $1,435,080.75 after going unsolved for the 27th consecutive racing day during Saturday's eight-race program. The popular multi-race wager added $121,179 of new money on top of a $1,396,320.23 carryover from Friday's card.
Multiple tickets were sold with all six winners, each returning $6,460.08.
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.
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. That winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.
Sunday's Rainbow 6 opens in Race 6, a starter-optional claimer for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. The 2-1 program favorite from the rail in a field of eight is the sophomore Tam Char, who exits a 9 ¼-length maiden claiming triumph over her elders at the course and distance June 19. Stakes-placed Hufflepuff has run second in five consecutive races, beaten a total of eight lengths.
The $75,000 Jameela Stakes for Maryland-bred/sired females 3 year old and older, scheduled for five furlongs on the grass, kicks off the stakes action in Race 7. Introduced, scratched from the June 13 Ben's Cat at Pimlico when it was rained off, is rated 8-5 on the morning line for the turf. She is a multiple stakes winner on dirt, as are Hello Beautiful and Never Enough Time, both entered for main track only.
Race 8 is the $100,000 Concern Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting six furlongs where Mighty Mischief is favored to earn his fourth straight victory for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and second in a row at Pimlico following the Grade 3 Chick Lang Stakes May 15 on the undercard of the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. Trainer Wesley Ward counters with well-traveled, stakes-placed Roderick, racing for the first time with Lasix and as a gelding.
Landing Zone, trained by Preakness Meet leader Claudio Gonzalez, seeks her first stakes victory in Race 9, the $100,000 Caesar's Wish going 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares 3 and up. The 4-year-old filly has raced in six consecutive stakes, ending 2020 with a fourth in the Grade 3 Allaire du Pont Stakes and finishing second in the Nellie Morse Stakes and third in the Lady's Secret Stakes this year.
Rounding out the stakes action in Race 10 is the $100,000 Lite the Fuse Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Mighty Mischief's stablemate Yaupon, who equaled a stakes record in the 2020 G3 Chick Lang after taking the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, returns to action for the first time since finishing eighth in the Grade 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen March 27 at Meydan. Among the competition are 2020 Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash winner Laki and Chateau, winner of the March 6 Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct.
Both the Caesar's Wish and Lite the Fuse are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.
The Rainbow 6 wraps up in Race 11, a maiden claiming sprint for horses age 3, 4, and 5 scheduled for five furlongs on the grass which drew an overflow field of 15 including main track only entrants Miracle Bobbie, Don't Dare Me, and One Most Wanted. Gleaming Sword is a third-time starter for trainer Dale Capuano that respectively ran third and second in his first two tries, both in off-the-turf maiden claimers at five furlongs.
Fans are encouraged to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with outdoor grilling on the Pimlico apron as well as food and beer specials at both Pimlico and Laurel Park.
