Gulfstream: Sunday’s Mandatory Rainbow 6 at Gulfstream Expected to Exceed $5 Million

By David Joseph —-

Sunday’s Mandatory Rainbow 6 at Gulfstream Expected to Exceed $5 Million

Pletcher Unveils Dominating Debut Winner Mindframe

Cairo Consort Rallies to Capture $150,000 Sand Springs

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Gulfstream Park’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have a mandatory payout Sunday and the pool is expected to climb to more than $5 million.

The carryover going into Sunday’s mandatory payout is $866,897.06.

The Rainbow 6 will begin with Race 6, an allowance optional claimer at a 1 1/16-mile on the turf for 4-year-olds and up, and conclude with Race 11, a maiden special weight event for 3-year-old fillies on the turf at a mile.

Race 6: Nine older horses entered the two-turn, $92,000 allowance optional claimer and Belmont Derby (G1) winner Far Bridge will make his 4-year-old debut as the favorite. The son of English Channel was third in the Saratoga Derby (G1) and second in the National Thoroughbred League Dueling Ground (G3). He makes his first start since September. Lucky Score, originally entered in Saturday’s Appleton, is the 3-1. Napoleonic War comes out of the Canadian Turf (G3), where he finished ninth.

Race 7: Eleven 3-year-olds go to post in this $89,000 maiden special weight event at 1 1/16 miles. Military Road (2-1) enters off a closing second-place finish last out at a mile. First-time starters will come out of the barns of Todd Pletcher (Invigorated), Bill Mott (Derby Street), Phil Antonacci (Still a Soldier) and William Tharrenos (Canadian Tuxedo). Jena Antonucci will saddle Tommy Two Socks and Big Rich.

Race 8: It’s a starter optional claimer at a mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies and it’s a full field and a tepid favorite 9-2 favorite in Wow Lucky, a winner last out for Garry Lee. John Velazquez returns in the saddle. Goats On a Tree had three third in a victory in his last four starts for Saffie Joseph Jr., while On the Nile draws post for trainer Brendan Walsh.

Race 9: Older Florida-breds go seven furlongs on the main track in an allowance optional claimer with Holiday Fantasy (5-2) favored with Tyler Gaffalione. The Iceman Runneth won his only start in April for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who saddles Classify.

Race 10: Five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares in an allowance optional claimer. St. Pat’s Day has won four of his last six including his last for Laura Cazares. Miss Speedy returns for the first time since July when finishing fourth at Woodbine in the Hendrie (G3). Dontlookbackatall makes his first start since October when finishing second in the Glen Cove at Aqueduct.

Race 11: If you’re alive, congratulations. Now you have to solve this maiden special weight event at a mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies. Todd Pletcher sends out first-time starter Braid, a daughter of American Pharoah, while Michael Matz sends out another firster in Midnight Prowler, a daughter of Gun Runner. Tramontane was beaten less than two lengths in her second start last time out while Godolphin’s Pendulum was beaten a neck. Brendan Walsh trains.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is 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.

Pletcher Unveils Dominating Debut Winner Mindframe

Approximately five hours before he was scheduled to saddle favored Fierceness for Saturday’s $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher unveiled Mindframe, who debuted with the look of a future star while dominating his rivals in Race 5, a seven-furlong maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds.

Bet down to even-money, Mindframe came through with an eye-catching performance, tracking a contested pace in fourth along the backstretch before sweeping to the lead on the turn into the homestretch and drawing away powerfully by 13 ¾ lengths. The son of 2014 Florida Derby (G1) hero Constitution ran seven furlongs in 1:22.72.

“We were anticipating a big debut. I thought that was something special there,” said Pletcher, who trains Mindframe for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. “He trained outstanding coming into the race. He’s been doing everything right. Everything has come very easily for him.”

Mindframe, whose career debut was delayed by ‘baby setbacks along the way,” was ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

“I wasn’t sure if he was fit enough until his last gate work. It surprised me. He hasn’t had much of a body of work leading into it, so much of this is on natural talent,” Pletcher said.

Cairo Consort Rallies to Capture $150,000 Sand Springs

Repole Table and Town and Country Racing LLC’s Cairo Consort ($9.80) rallied from off the pace to capture the $150,000 Sand Springs at Gulfstream Park.

The Sand Springs, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for older fillies and mares, was one of 10 stakes worth $1.425 million in purses on a 14-race Curlin Florida Derby program.

Angel Nadeshiko, a 25-1 long shot ridden by John Velazquez, set the pace while pressed by Fast As Flight past fractions of 24.18 and 47.84 seconds for the first half-mile. The pacesetting duo showed the way into the stretch, as Marketsegmentation, the 4-5 favorite ridden by Jose Ortiz, loomed boldly on the outside. The favorite stalled in the stretch as Cairo Consort launched an outside drive that carried Irad Ortiz Jr. to his fifth victory of the afternoon, prevailing over Fast as Flight by 1 ¾ lengths. Angel Nadeshiko held on for third.

Todd Pletcher-trained Cairo Consort, a 4-year-old daughter of Cairo Prince, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.52 while collecting her first victory since capturing the Sweetest Chant (G3) at Gulfstream in February 2023.

“It worked out perfect. We were hoping to break sharp. She was forwardly placed,” Ortiz said. “After that I could bide my time, and it worked out perfectly, because she broke so good, I ended up where I wanted, riding behind the horse I have to beat — Chad’s horse — and after that when it was time to go, and I was able to start going.”

Chad Brown-trained Marketsegmentation, who was making her first start since finishing fourth in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga last July, faded to fifth.

Who’s Hot: A day away from officially defending his Championship Meet title, Irad Ortiz Jr. rode five winners on Saturday’s Curlin Florida Derby program. After sweeping the early daily double aboard Princetown ($16.80) in Race 1 and Be Like Clint ($10.60) in Race 2, Ortiz scored aboard Mindframe ($4.20) in Race 5, McKulick ($4.60) in Race 10, and Cairo Consort ($9.80) in Race 12.

Jose Ortiz scored aboard Sir London ($11.60) in Race 4 and Oscar Eclipse ($7.80) in Race 9.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher won with promising debuter Mindframe ($4.20) in Race 5 and Cairo Consort ($9.80) in Race 12.

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