Record Rainbow 6 Carryover Grows to $1.27 Million for Saturday

BALTIMORE - Harpers First Ride is back in the barn of Maryland’s leading trainer Claudio Gonzalez, for whom he won nine of 15 starts including Laurel’s Deputed Testamony, Richard W. Small and Native Dancer in addition to the Pimlico Special in 2020 before being sold prior to a run in the Jan. 23 Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Park.

Based in the Midwest where he made three starts for Robertino Diodoro, Harpers First Ride ran fourth in the Essex Handicap and third in an optional claiming allowance at Oaklawn Park before finishing 10th in defense of his Pimlico Special title May 14.

Harpers First Ride has breezed three times at Pimlico since that race, most recently going five furlongs in 1:01 June 19. He drew the rail in a field of five for Sunday’s sixth race, a third-level 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up that includes Gonzalez-trained stablemate Tybalt.

Friday’s eight-race card at Pimlico includes a Maryland state record carryover jackpot of $1,253,882.76 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 3-8). Post time is 12:40 p.m.

Record Rainbow 6 Carryover Grows to $1.27 Million for Saturday

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the 23rd consecutive racing day Friday at historic Pimlico Race Course, growing the Maryland state record carryover jackpot to $1,276,727.08 for Saturday’s nine-race program.

First race post time is 12:40 p.m.

No horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Friday’s eighth-race finale, won by 1-5 favorite My Sacred Place ($2.40). A total of $71,419 was bet into the popular multi-race wager on top of $1,253,882.76 carried over from the last live program June 20.

Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $150.40.

Last solved for a $23,346.70 payout May 7, the Rainbow 6 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, 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.

Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico’s spring meet, the Rainbow 6 has far surpassed its previous state record carryover of $345,898.33 spanning 31 racing programs before being solved by one lucky bettor for a life-changing $399,545.94 payout April 15, 2018 at Laurel Park. The winning ticket was purchased through Maine off-track betting.

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Saturday’s Rainbow 6 begins in Race 4 (2:08 p.m.), an entry-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track led by 8-5 program favorite Indian Lake, runner-up in an off-the-turf Jersey Derby May 28 last time out who ran fourth in the James Murphy, also at one mile, on the Pimlico turf May 15.

The co-feature comes in Race 8 (4:18 p.m.), where seven 3-year-olds and up are entered in the entry-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles. Galatians, in the money in seven of 15 lifetime starts, is favored at 2-1 over a group that includes Sea Ghost, third in three consecutive races, and Market Cap, fifth in a six-furlong allowance June 5 after stumbling and losing the rider in the May 15 Sir Barton, his season debut.

There will also be a carryover in the Super Hi-5 of $1,834.88.

Notes: Jockey Jorge Ruiz and trainer Dale Capuano teamed up for a pair of winners Friday, Walk Away Joe ($4) in Race 2 and Jeanie’s Angel ($7) in Race 4 … Jockey Sheldon Russell also doubled aboard Forest Fire ($17.60) in Race 6 and My Sacred Place ($2.40) in Race 8, the latter trained by his wife, Brittany … Forest Fire won for the third time in 14 starts since his victory in the 2019 Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park … 2020 Tropical Turf (G3) winner Tusk was a popular winner in Race 5, edging Trifor Gold by a head in the 1 1/16-mile starter-optional claimer originally carded for the turf.