Gulfstream: Monday’s Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Grows to $464,568

By David Joseph —-

Keystoneforvictory Favored for Home of the Brave Handicap
Easy to Say Gets Final Say in Sunday’s Opening Lead Handicap

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Monday’s Memorial Day program at Gulfstream Park will feature a $464,568.76 20-cent Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday for the 22nd consecutive racing program since the jackpot was hit for $180,853 on April 27.

Multiple tickets with all six winners Sunday were each worth $2,526.26.

The Rainbow 6 carryover 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 sold, 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.

Monday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, highlighted by the Race 10 Home of the Brave Starter Handicap, a 1 ½-mile turf event for horses that have raced for a claiming price. Mike Maker-trained Keystoneforvictory, the winner of the $125,000 Claiming Crown Emerald in December, is scheduled to seek his sixth victory in seven starts over the Gulfstream Park turf course. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount aboard the 8-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven.

There will also be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $9,551.10 heading into Sunday’s 11-race card.

Easy to Say Gets Last Say in Opening Lead Handicap

Easy to Say ($12.60) paid instant dividends in his first start for new connections Sunday at Gulfstream Park, capturing the $50,000 Opening Lead Handicap by three-quarters of a length.

Claimed out of an April 15 optional claiming allowance victory for $25,000 by trainer Murat Sancal for Alp Semsettin Evcimen, the 5-year-old son of Eskendereya stalked the pace into the stretch under Edgard Zayas before wearing down Focus On Me.

“We’ve always liked the high-level claiming game. We’ve watched him race several times and we liked him,” Sancal said. “He was having some foot issues after his last race and we’ve dealt with them. I think he’s more than this, so we’ll see where we go.”

Easy to Say ran six furlongs in 1:09.01 while scoring for the fifth time in 11 career starts.
Sancal said Easy to Say may be targeted for the $250,000 Smile (G3), a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ event at Gulfstream on the July 1 ‘Summit of Speed’ card or other stakes opportunities in Kentucky.

The George Weaver-trained Requite, who hadn’t raced since finishing off the board in the Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga last July, was never a serious factor while carrying high weight of 123 pounds, including jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Requite, who was 3 ½ lengths behind Focus On Me after finishing third as the 3-5 favorite, had been undefeated in three previous starts, including two stakes, at Gulfstream.

In the co-featured ninth race, an entry-level optional claiming allowance, Todd Pletcher-trained Blind Ambition ($4.20) made an auspicious debut on turf with a ……-length victory.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, the long-striding 3-year-old son of Tapit made a strong three-wide sweep to the lead along the backstretch under a strong hold and continued to draw away from his eight rivals. He ran 7 ½ furlongs in 1:28.48.

Blind Ambition, who broke his maiden on the main track by 5 ¾ lengths April 25, is out of Starfish Bay, who won three stakes on turf, including the 2010 Ladies Turf Sprint at Gulfstream.

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.