Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.5 Million

Forte, Charge It, Cairo Consort Go Back to School

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano rode on Thursday’s program at Gulfstream Park, hours after learning that he is the 2023 recipient of the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.

“It feels so great to win the award. It’s a special award. It’s a big accomplishment – it’s not only about your career; it’s about humanity. We try to get along with each other, help each other – our brothers,” Castellano said between races Thursday at Gulfstream. “People look up to you, they respect you as an ambassador, a four-time Eclipse Award winner, a Hall of Fame rider. At the same time, they respect your humanity.”

The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner is decided by a vote of jockeys across the country.

Castellano, who won five straight Championship Meet riding titles at Gulfstream between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016, ventured to South Florida from Venezuela in 1997. He has ridden the winners of 5,619 races and $377.9 million in purses. He won four consecutive Eclipse Awards between 2013 and 2016.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Guaranteed at $1.5 Million

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $1.5 million Friday at Gulfstream Park

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Thursday for the 22nd racing day following a mandatory payout.

Another mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool has been scheduled for Sunday.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, featuring three $84,000 maiden special weight races on turf.

In Race 4, a full field of 3-year-olds has been assembled for a 1 1/16-mile turf test, including a pair of first-time starters trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott – Exude, a son of Tapit, and Covet, a son off Always Dreaming. Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey is slated to saddle Operation Torch, a debuting son of War Front. Trainer Chad Brown is scheduled to send out Ganado, who missed by a neck in his Jan. 7 debut at Tampa Bay Downs.

In Race 6, a five-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares, Nicolas Palmer-trained Cindylouwho, who finished off the board in his 2023 debut on dirt, returns to turf. The daughter of Bodemeister had previously finished second on turf in a maiden special weight race at Kentucky Downs.

In Race 9, a 1 3/16-mile turf route for older fillies and mares, Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher is slated to saddle Sinfiltre, the 5-2 morning-line favorite in what appears to be a wide-open race.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be held on Sunday.

Forte, Charge It, Cairo Consort Go Back to School

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Forte schooled in the paddock and walking ring for the second day in a row Thursday in preparation for a highly anticipated 2023 debut in Saturday’s $400,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Unraced since clinching the Eclipse Award for outstanding 2-year-old male with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), the Todd Pletcher-trained son of Violence is rated as the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth.

Forte was accompanied for a second day by Whisper Hill Farm LLC’s Charge It, who is slated to run in Saturday’s $200,000 WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), and Repole Stable and Town and Country Racing LLC’s Cairo Consort, who will try to follow up her Sweetest Chant (G3) win with a victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Herecomesthebride (G3),

Who’s Hot: Tyler Gaffalione tripled aboard Always Royal ($18) in Race 1, Surprise Payoff ($5.20) in Race 3 and Love and Money ($4.20) in Race 7.

Luis Saez notched back-to-back wins aboard Lady Siena ($5) in Race 4 and Loyal Louie ($) in Race 6.

Trainer Jose Pinchin made two visits to the winner’s circle with Take the Podium ($12.60) in Race 2 and Siena Lady ($5) in Race 5.