Gulfstream's nine-race program Friday features four turf races, a maiden special weight event for 2-year-old fillies, another maiden special weight event for 2-year-olds, and a guaranteed pool in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 of $500,000.
The very competitive afternoon card begins at 2 p.m.
The sequence begins with Race 4, a mile claiming event for fillies and mares at a mile on the main track and a 9-5 favorite in I'm a Coco Pebbles. The fifth race features a dozen claimers going a mile on the turf, including stakes winner High Noon Rider and stakes placed Harbour Master, Ambassador Jim and Rocket Joe Copper.
Race 7 brings together 2-year-olds going 7 ½ furlongs on the turf. The field includes Winging It, a son of Into Mischief who brought $200,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale in June, and Fivefive Six Champ, a son of First Dude making his third start after bringing $165,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale of 2-year-olds in March. Pharoah's Prophecy makes his debut for trainer Mike Maker while More Adventurous, a son of More Than Ready, goes out second time for David Fawkes.
The Rainbow 6 sequence ends with Race 9, a $12,500 claimer at a mile on the turf for fillies and mares. Earnestine N Hazel is a 7-5 morning line favorite who drops in company and goes out first time for leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
Racing continues Saturday with a 12:20 first race post. The 12-race program will include the $75,000 Monroe for fillies and mares on the turf.
The mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6, featuring a state-record jackpot carryover, returned $31,028.08 Sunday at Pimlico Race Course.
There was a carryover of $1,435,080 and $5,110,191 of new money wagered on a Sunday program featuring four stakes races.
The Rainbow 6 kicked off with 5-1 shot Behind the Couch ($13) winning the sixth race followed by Ellantation ($22) in the seventh, Alwaysinahurry ($20.20) in the eighth, Mrs. Orb ($6.20) in the ninth, Yaupon ($2.80) the 10th, and Crack the Safe ($23.80) in the 11th.
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 had 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 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.
