Papal Law Springs $78.60 Upset in Thursday Feature

BALTIMORE – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 saw its carryover jackpot swell to $217,321.44 after going unsolved for the sixth consecutive racing day Thursday at Pimlico Race Course.

First race post time for Friday’s nine-race card is 1:10 p.m.

A total of $59,264 was bet into the popular multi-race wager Thursday on top of a carryover of $198,373.42 from the Preakness Stakes (G1) program May 18. Tickets with five of six winners were worth $835.94.

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.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 4-9 and features three turf races that drew a total of 34 horses, an average of 11.3 starters per race.

Papal Law Springs $78.60 Upset in Thursday Feature

Gama Racing Stable and Reynaldo Pinero’s Papal Law pressed a fast early pace set by Regal Image before taking over once straightened for home and holding off a trio of late challengers to win Thursday’s featured eighth race.

Ridden by seven-pound apprentice Felix Pinero for trainer Robert Wolfe Jr., Papal Law ($78.50) ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.42 over a firm turf course for a three-quarter-length victory in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up.

“The horse ran a great race, and the bug boy ran exactly as he was told,” Wolfe’s wife and assistant, Marcia, said. “It was very exciting.”

Papal Law, a 6-year-old gelding racing second time off the layoff, earned his fourth victory from 24 lifetime starts and first since a 1 1/16-mile claiming event last June at Penn National. Wolfe said the Robellino Stakes there on June 8 would be the next goal.

“We bought him as an unraced 2-year-old,” she said. “It’s a big deal for us. It really is. We’re just little guys and struggle to make ends meet, so this is a big deal.”

Sue Me finished second, a half-length ahead of Chargin Storm. It was another half-length back to Positivist in fourth, while Grade 3 winner and narrow 3-1 favorite Ghost Hunter faded to finish 10th.

Notes: Jockey Trevor McCarthy picked up two wins Thursday aboard Speed Game ($2.40) in Race 1 and Mercilla ($7.80), a 3-year-old Arch filly making her North American debut for trainer Graham Motion, in Race 5.