And the Rainbow 6 keeps buildings.
With more than $1.5 million on the line in Saturday's Rainbow 6, we turned to Gulfstream handicappers Ron Nicoletti, Andy Serling and Gabby Gaudet to provide their selections and key plays.
Saturday's sequence begins with race seven and includes five turf races, including the $75,000 Melody of Colors at five furlongs on the turf and a maiden special weight at a mile on the grass.
Ron Nicoletti
I’m approaching my ticket with a lot of confidence early, and taking advantage of the 20-cent increments by using multiple horses in the latter races.
Race 7: I’m singling Ransack. The son of Pioneerof the Nile, who flashed ability on the turf at GP West, is going back to the grass after failing to fire vs maiden special weight runners on a sealed ‘sloppy’ track.
Race 8: I’m going three deep in this leg with Baby Antonella, who’s turning back to 5 ½ furlongs after showing improvement when blinkers were added last out. Starship Maiden, who must deal with a tough outside post but fits well here and Miss Niagara, another who fits perfectly with this level of competition.
Race 9: I’m going three deep in this leg with Montauk Man, racing without the blinkers, and exiting a ‘key’ race that has produced 2 winners from 4 next-out starters. Travis County is an $850,000 son of Tapit debuting for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who is 4 for 10 with horses debuting at a mile. Commend is a son of War Front making his turf debut after finishing an eventful 6th(broke outward) vs a solid group of maiden special weight runners.
Race 10: Once again I’m going three deep with Live in Joy, who has shown in the past that he can string together three victories in row, will try and do it again. Depeche Chat is stretching out to a mile after finishing full of run when 3rdbehind Live in Joy last out. Lasso has trained consistently at GP West in preparation for the first start since being ease vs $25,000 optional claimers for the red-hot Jorge Navarro barn.
Race 11: I’m using two horses in the The Melody of Colors. Cash Back, undefeated sprinting at 5 ½ furlongs on the Fair Grounds turf, ships in on a roll for trainer Brad Cox. Kandoo, a solid $75,000 optional claiming winner sprinting on the GP West grass, is back on the turf after stakes-placed performances at Tampa and the Ocala Training Center, in which she was 2nd in the OBS Sprint.
Race 12: I’m closing out my ticket with three horses. Little Scotty is dropping to the $50,000 level, turning back to a mile, after facing tougher at 9 furlongs. Two Steps Forward is an obvious choice after shipping in from Woodbine and coming within three-quarters of a length of winning at this level and distance. Make It Count is a son of Kitten’s joy debuting for trainer Chad Brown, and that should be more than enough to pique your interest.
Race 7: 11
Race 8: 1-9-13
Race 9: 8-10-11
Race 10: 1-6-9
Race 11: 3-6
Race 12: 2-8-10
Total: $32.40
Andy Serling
There are two ways to approach, or should I say, attack the Rainbow-6. The first is the one I would recommend, and also a more reasonable one, and that's to try to hit it without focusing on the unlikely prospect of having the sole winning ticket. The distribution of payoffs allows for seemingly more than fair payoffs on a daily basis, and the 20-cent minimum gives you a chance to spread fairly reasonably, even with a relatively modest bankroll.
The second approach would be to forgo the possibility, at least to a certain degree, of having a more logical and perhaps smaller "win" for the better chance to somehow be the sole winner. This would require either strategically, or even somewhat randomly, putting relatively improbable winners onto your ticket in a number ofthe races.This approach would require a larger bankroll than the first plan of attack, but theoretically puts you into the pool, so to speak, to perhaps become a millionaire.
Finding singles in Saturday's sequence is not easy, as it is a card that does not feature an abundance of short priced horses ( fortunately, this is often the case at Gulfstream, as it affords you a chance in almost every race to be clever and make a score ). One horse I would potentially single is Commend in the 9th race. This is an impeccably bred son of War Front ( a half to Congrats and Flatter ) that took a lot of money for a Bill Mott first-time starter, especially given the strength of the field he faced. He now switches to turf, and from a pedigree standpoint his dam side goes back to the top racehorse and better broodmare Glowing Tribute. Bill Mott is outstanding shifting maidens to the grass, having had good success with this move at Gulfstream at least over the last five years. Given nobody stands out, at least to me, among his competition, he looks like a decent play.
The most logical race to look for a single is the 11th race, the featured Melody of Colors, simply because it features a smaller and more manageable field ( smaller, I should say, than the other races, but still solid at eight runners ). The logical single for many may be Cash Back, and certainly you may well need to use this horse somewhere in your play, but I prefer Kandoo, who I believe has improved since her one turf race. She ran well enough even that day to have a shot here. While in all likelihood I would use both 3 and 6 from this race, from a gambling perspective, I could take a shot and single Kandoo. You, on the other hand, might be saner than I, and prefer to single the favored Cash Back....a perfectly reasonable decision.
1st ticket
Race 7: 2-6-11
Race 8: 3-12
Race 9: 11
Race 10: 2-3-6-9
Race 11: 3-6
Race 12: 6-7-8
Total: $28.80
2nd ticket
Race 7: 2-6-11
Race 8: 2-3-12
Race 9: 9-11
Race 10: 2-3-6-9
Race 11: 3-6
Race 12: 1-6-7-8-10
Total: $144
Gabby Gaudet
As you approach the tumultuous Pick 6 sequence on Saturday, I think it's best to try to have a firm opinion (and a positive outlook) on at least one race. Use one race as a center and work outward from there.
Race 11: My "center" in the sequence is Cash Back in the feature race of the day, the Melody of Colors. This 3-year-old filly ships in for trainer Brad Cox off of back-to-back victories at the Fairgrounds. I was especially impressed by her recent performance against winners when she was pressured early and simply drew clear with just a few taps of encouragement. She is fast, comes from a family of winners on the bottom side of her pedigree and may prove to have some versatility in running style.
Race 7: Table Talk exits a race where he was completed compromised going into the first turn. All considering, ran a game race. I stick with him. Must also respect Dynamite Kid for a barn that does very well with maidens in their second start, switching to turf (about 21% over the past 5 years). Ransack is dangerous on class drop alone.
Race 8 - R Bling Shines didn't do much running in debut but perhaps could improve on a dry track. Terri Pompay wins at 20% and hits the board 75% with maiden claimers in their second start, sprinting on the dirt. Baby Antonella figures after good effort against similar in last. Picky Bits debuts for a barn that is sneaky good with maiden claimers first out on the dirt.
Race 9 - This is a spread race. Several first time starters look appealing but Super Stan is most attractive to me after being bumped/shut off at the top of the stretch last out. Figures to be close to pace on stretch out.
Race 10 - Many horses exit the same race last out. Fearthefalcon is one of them. Connections decided to take back off the pace last out and was rank, pulling badly on the backstretch. Perhaps cost his position and perhaps the race. Should be more forward today but will protect myself in the Pick 6 with Starship Zorro on drop and Lasso with speed.
Race 12 - Add Four tucked in nicely going into first turf in turf debut, it all went downhill from there. He had mass amounts of trouble at the top of the stretch, bumped, shuffled, reserved. Willing to give him another shot, thinking his last race was much better than suggested in black and white. Little Scotty figures, dropping back down to a reasonable level and also using first time starter Brucarita who is bred to run all day on the lawn. Kin to Grade 1 placed hurdler Schoodic.
Race 7: 2-5-11
Race 8: 3-7-9
Race 9: 5-8-9-10
Race 10: 5-8-9
Race 11: 3
Race 12: 6-7-8
$64.80 Source: Gulfstream Park
