Rainbow 6 tough nut to crack

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Gulfstream Park fall session ends Sunday, but management has opted to disburse the Rainbow 6 carryover one day earlier. The pool will be a modest one, likely sitting at approximately $400,000 if it is not taken down on Thursday or Friday, with the final total perhaps in the vicinity of $2 million by the time the final 20-cent Rainbow 6 tickets are punched prior to Saturday’s fifth race.

The sequence isn’t an easy one, to say the least, with smaller players at a big disadvantage of putting together a winning ticket. Four of the six races have full fields of 12, and a fifth drew 11 entrants. Four of the six races will be decided over the Tapeta course, with one of the two main-track events a maiden-claiming dash featuring eight first-time starters.

A quick analysis of the races in the sequence follows.

RACE 5

Good luck just getting through the opening leg alive, with a full field of 12 mid-level conditioned claimers going a mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta. KATIESDREAMGIRL wheels back on short rest after being eliminated at the break while making her synthetic debut just six days earlier. There are many ways to go in this one, with

TUDOX ROADSTER, the lone member of the field with a win on a synthetic track, parked out in post 12.

RACE 6

There are a dozen 2-year-old maiden fillies going six furlongs on the dirt to choose from here. Of the eight new faces, ILLOGICAL LOVE and PRONTA look best off their morning activity, with Illogical Love having held her own working with the winner Strategy Queen. DIGNIFIED is coming off a near miss for a lesser tag and is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner Jackson.

RACE 7

Another big field of mid-level filly and mare claimers, with PEARLESCENT perhaps deserving a long look after a sparkling Tapeta debut versus lesser five weeks earlier. Other contenders include MIDNIGHT BELLA, who has won twice on synthetic tracks and exits a troubled trip last time, and the ultra-consistent LITTLE BIT GOOD in dangerous hands off the Gilberto Zerpa claim but a question mark making her debut over the surface.

RACE 8

Back to the main for a competitive bottom-level claimer. MR TITO’S beat this same kind last time from an impossible post, draws post 2 this time around, and can win right back if able to repeat the effort. PLATO could be a bit of a sleeper from the rail after likely bouncing last time off a career-best Beyer performance just 19 days earlier at Delaware Park. KRAMDEN has started just once over a fast dirt track, and he was second that day behind Mr Tito’s and cannot be left out.

RACE 9

There are no shortage of win candidates in the afternoon’s main event, a starter allowance on the Tapeta. CENTSLESS DRAMA has been knocking on the door in this category, handled this strip well last time, and is nicely drawn on the rail. KATZ A DREAM turned in a sterling synthetic bow and must be used despite jumping up in class, although he loses jockey Edgard Zayas, who opted to ride WICKED GROOVE off a career-best performance on grass at the Meadowlands.

RACE 10

Anyone fortunate enough to be alive will want to have plenty of coverage going into a head-scratching finale. Must-uses include FLOWMOTION, a proven commodity on synthetic tracks, DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, and TIMMY M. DOVER CLIFFS and TIL THE END can’t be ignored but must overcome tough outside draws.