Apprentice Marquez Adds to Meet-Leading Total with Saturday Triple

BALTIMORE – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Saturday at historic Pimlico Race Course, causing the Maryland state record carryover jackpot to swell to $938,090.78 for Sunday’s program.

Post time for the first of eight races is 12:40 p.m.

Jesus Suarez’s 30-1 long shot Quick Enough was the lone horse live to take down the jackpot heading into Saturday’s eighth race finale, won by Fizbo ($12.60). A total of $70,751 was put into the popular multi-race wager on top of a carryover of $915,457.43 from Friday. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $870.50.

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 had its previous state record carryover reach $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.

Sunday’s Rainbow 6 begins in Race 3, a starter-optional claimer for fillies and mares 3 and up sprinting six furlongs on the main track. Le Weekend, third to multiple stakes winner Hello Beautiful in the Maryland Million Distaff last fall at Laurel Park, is the 9-5 program favorite from the rail in a field of six for trainer Jamie Ness.

Air Token, winner of the seven-furlong Concern Stakes last November at Laurel, will attempt to snap a five-race winless streak in Race 6, an entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles. Ness counters with the entry of last-out winner Halite and Lucky Britches, making just his second start in nearly 12 months.

Race 7 is an open entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs featuring the season debut for 4-year-old gelding Artistic Reason, a half-brother to 2020 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) winner Majestic Reason. Trained by Graham Motion, Artistic Reason was entered in a similar spot against fellow Maryland-bred/sired horses May 29 but scratched when Pimlico’s main track came up sloppy. Racing for the first time as a gelding, Artistic Reason was most recently second by a length in a restricted 1 1/16-mile allowance last August at Laurel.

Notes: Five-pound apprentice Charlie Marquez added to his lead atop the extended Preakness Meet at Pimlico standings with a Saturday hat trick, finishing first aboard Gins N Tins ($12.40) in Race 2, Americas Woman ($6.20) in Race 3 and Mavilus ($9) in Race 5. Jockey J.D. Acosta doubled with Lake Chicot ($3.80) in Race 1 and Vegas Weekend ($3.80) in Race 7. Marquez and Acosta rank 1-2 with 25 and 20 wins, respectively.