G2 Winner Five G Making Gulfstream Return Friday

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $600,000
Pool Expected to Hit $5 Million for Sunday Mandatory
Jockey Edwin Gonzalez Registers Thursday Hat Trick

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – When she last raced in South Florida, Gatsas Stables’ Five G scored a career highlight with her popular 2 1/4-length victory in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). Eleven months later, breeder-owner Mike Gatsas is hopeful the familiar surroundings will springboard a return to form for his standout filly.

Five G is the 9-5 program favorite in Gulfstream’s Friday feature, a stakes-quality optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going a one-turn mile on the main track. It will be just the second start for the 4-year-old daughter of Vekoma since her Oaks triumph last March.

“It’s been a long haul, but hopefully we’re going to see the old Five G run Friday,” Gatsas said. “It’s an allowance race, but it’s a real, real good race. She’s on her game right now, so we’re going to see what she’s all about Friday and move forward with her from there.”

Five G earned her way to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) last spring but was scratched the day before when trainer George Weaver was not pleased with the way she was going into the race. She did not run again until Dec. 28, when she finished ninth in the seven-furlong La Brea (G1) at Santa Anita.

Based with Weaver at Palm Beach Downs, Five G’s first trip to the West Coast was complicated with the temporary grounding of all equine flights from Thanksgiving into the month of January.

“We sent her out there and there were no planes. We had to van her all the way to Santa Anita, and she just didn’t bring her race. She was training very, very well so we’re throwing it out and putting a line right through it,” Gatsas said. “We got her out there early; maybe that was it, too. It’s easier to run off the plane than it is to van out there. And, she had to van back.

“But like I told George, a Grade 1, the last Grade 1 for 3-year-old [fillies]. Do you know what that would have meant for us if she would have taken it down? What it would have meant for Vekoma and everything?’” he added. “I said, ‘I’m happy with the decision so don’t fret over it.’ I’m very happy with what we did. It didn’t work out, OK, but that’s the way the game goes. Let’s go home and see what we have for a filly this year.”

Gatsas also campaigned Vekoma, millionaire winner of Gulfstream’s 2020 Hutcheson before the Carter (G1) and Met Mile (G1) at Belmont Park in the only three starts of what would be his final season. Five G is 2-0 at Gulfstream, having won the one-mile Cash Run by nine lengths two starts prior to the 1 1/16-mile Oaks.

“That was all in play. Running down here, we know she likes the track, and we’ll go from there,” Gatsas said. “We have a nice horse so we’re going to play the cards she deals us. We’ll see if we can get it done.”

Also in Friday’s field is two-time Grade 2 winner Sugar Fish, racing first time for Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.; Anna’s Promise and Cassiar, respectively second and third in last year’s Gulfstream Park Oaks; 2025 Game Face winner Luvumorgan; stakes-placed Fede and Godolphin homebred Contrary, a last out winner at the course and distance Jan. 8.

Five G has breezed three times since late January at Palm Beach Downs, most recently going a half-mile in 49.04 seconds Feb. 6. She drew Post 4 and will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez at co-topweight of 123 pounds.

“She’s been training very, very well,” Gatsas said. “We need to get her going and see what’s happening with her. We’re excited about it.”

Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $600,000

Unsolved for the 10th consecutive racing day Thursday, the 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated jackpot pool of $600,000 for Friday’s 10-race program at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

The Rainbow 6 last saw multiple mandatory payouts of $71,527.20 on the Jan. 24 Pegasus World Cup program. Since the Championship Meet opened Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, the largest jackpot payout was $416,348.44 Jan. 8.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only 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.

On mandatory payout days, the entire pool is disbursed to the bettor or bettors with most wins in the six-race sequence. Another mandatory payout is scheduled for Sunday, when the jackpot pool is estimated to reach $5 million if not solved before then.

Friday’s Rainbow 6 spans Races 5-10. Race 7 is an optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds sprinting 5 ? furlongs on the all-weather Tapeta course. The field includes Shipmate, a maiden winner on Tapeta Nov. 15; Expressway, fourth in last fall’s Futurity (G3) on the Aqueduct turf; and Itza Lock, most recently second in a five-furlong turf dash Jan. 9.

Florida-bred fillies and mares 4 and up are scheduled to go five furlongs on the grass in a Race 9 optional claiming allowance that will see 7-year-old Heir to the Roar chase a 10th career victory in her 32nd start. Wildly Speedy, a debut winner at the course and distance last February, and Baby Blocks, runner-up in four consecutive starts by a total of 4 ? lengths, are also entered.

The feature comes in Race 9, an optional claiming allowance for older fillies and mares going a one-turn mile on the main track featuring 2025 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner Five G; two-time Grade 2 winner Sugar Fish; Anna’s Promise and Cassiar, respectively second and third behind Five G in the Gulfstream Park Oaks; stakes winner Luvumorgan; stakes-placed Fede and last-out winner Contrary.

Who’s hot: Jockey Edwin Gonzalez registered a Thursday hat trick aboard Lisa Connects ($19.80) in Race 1, Calathea ($5.20) in Race 8 and Saratoga Flash ($6) in Race 10 … Miguel Vasquez doubled on Nice Try Riley ($3.40) in Race 3 and Golden Valley ($7) in Race 4.