Aikenetta Goes Last to First to Capture Saturday Feature

BALTIMORE – For the ninth consecutive racing day, the 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Saturday at Pimlico Race Course to grow the carryover jackpot to $251,028.48 for Sunday’s eight-race program.

First race post time is 1:10 p.m.

What a Run (17-1) was the lone horse live to take down the jackpot heading into Saturday’s ninth-race finale, finishing fourth behind winner Love You Much ($7.60). A total of $48,605 was bet into the popular multi-race wager on top of a carryover of $235,491.51 from Friday’s nine-race card. Multiple tickets with all six winners each returned $3,884.24.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out 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.

Maryland’s state-record Pick 6 carryover is $345,898.33, reached heading into the April 15, 2018 program at Laurel Park. It was solved that day by a single bettor for a jackpot payout of $399,545.94.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 3-8 and features four turf races that drew a total of 37 horses, an average of 9.25 starters per race.

There will also be a $1 Super Hi-5 carryover of $2,672.44 for Sunday’s opener.

Aikenetta Goes Last to First to Capture Saturday Feature

Ben Mondello’s Aikenetta hopped out of the starting gate and trailed the field into the far turn before making a sweeping move on the far outside approaching the stretch and going on to a three-quarter-length victory in Saturday’s featured eighth race.

Ridden by Rosario Montanez for New York-based trainer Rudy Rodriguez, Aikenetta ($5.60) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.99 over a fast main track to take the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up and earn her sixth career win and third in four starts this year.

Normally attending the pace, Aikenetta settled at the back of the field as Le Weekend led the way through fractions of 24.23 and 47.65 seconds pressed by favorite Daria’s Angel. The top two went six furlongs in 1:11.60 as Montanez launched his rally around horses, edging past Daria’s Angel inside the sixteenth pole and holding off a late bid from Moon Virginia.

“We missed the break. She was very wound up and ready to go. We kept her quiet in the post parade but she was on the bit today. She broke in the air and I think it was the best thing that happened to her. There was too much speed in the race so we were able to tuck in,” Montanez said. “I had to make a four-wide move, which I didn’t want to do, at the five-sixteenths pole but I had no choice. I wanted to get the jump on the favorite. At the top of the lane I headed [Daria’s Angel] and then came [Moon Virginia], but luckily the wire came up first.”

Saturday’s co-features were a pair of $45,000 optional claiming allowances for 3-year-olds and up sprinting five furlongs on the turf. Rabbah Bloodstock’s 5-year-old gelding Tibr ($29.40), making just his eighth career start, second in the U.S. and first in more than 12 months, emerged from a three-way photo finish with a nose victory over Jarvis Steel in 56.71 seconds over the firm course. Uncle Youdge, the 2-1 favorite, was another head back in third.

Pewter Stable and Montour Stable’s Racinginthestreet ($11.40) split horses in mid-stretch and held off Unaquoi’s rally from the far outside for a hard-fought nose triumph in Race 7 for fillies and mares. It was the third straight win for the 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry, racing for the first time since a front-running victory last August at Delaware Park.

Notes: Five-pound apprentice Julio Correa had two winners Saturday, aboard Queen of Muskoka ($5.80) in Race 2 and Racinginthestreet ($11.40) in Race 7.