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Lynch Looking to Stay Hot with Skyro in Saturday’s St. Augustine
12/29/2023
Rainbow 6 Carryover at $96,592 for Saturday’s Mandatory Payout
Four Consecutive Stakes Conclude Sequence
Ortiz Brothers, Lopez, Casse Register Friday Doubles
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Trainer Brian Lynch will saddle Skyro for a start in Saturday’s $100,000 St. Augustine at Gulfstream Park looking to continue his impressive first month of the 2023-2024 Championship Meet.
Raroma Stable LLC’s Skyro has already contributed to his trainer’s early success, having captured the $100,000 Sabal Palm Handicap on Tapeta Dec. 2.
The 5-year-old gelding is scheduled to face 11 rivals in Saturday’s mile-and-70-yard overnight handicap on the all-weather surface while receiving a pound from 123-pound highweight Conglomerate, who captured the Valedictory (G3) over the Woodbine Tapeta course last time out.
Skyro, who has won on dirt, turf, and Tapeta, fanned six-wide at the top of the stretch and powered home to a three-quarter of a length triumph in the St. Augustine in his third start off a five-month layoff.
“I threw him to the wolves in his first start back [G3 Ack Ack]. In his second start, he got stopped and was never able to get back into it,” Lynch said. “He showed up the other day.”
In his previous two seasons at Gulfstream, the son of Verrazano had two wins and two runner-up finishes on Tapeta or Turf.
“He’s so versatile. He can run on the dirt, he can run on the turf, he can run on the ‘poly,’ Lynch said. “He’s one of those real honest types.”
Including Skyro’s Sabal Palm triumph, Lynch has won six races from 20 starters for a 30-percent strike rate. He has saddled four 2-year-old maiden special weight winners on turf or Tapeta, including Silent Heart, a son of Gulfstream favorite Heart to Heart who scored impressively at first asking Dec. 7.
“We’ve gotten off to a good start. We had a lot of horses that didn’t get to run at Churchill without the grass,” Lynch said. “The condition book set up. The races were here for them. The horses have been running real well.”
Joe Bravo has the return mount on Skyro.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will be represented by Breeze Easy LLC’s Volcanic, as well as Gary Barber’s Conglomerate. Volcanic had won four of five races over Gulfstream’s Tapeta course prior to tiring to fifth as the favorite in the Sabal Palm. Edwin Gonzalez has the call on Volcanic, while Hall of famer Javier Castellano has the mount on Conglomerate.
Grey Oak Stables and Michael and Julia Iavarone’s Fly the W, who has been a dominant force in the starter allowance ranks at Gulfstream, will be tested in the St. Augustine. The Bobby Dibona-trained 7-year-old Ghostbuster gelding has won seven of 12 starts this year and has been on the board in every race.
“We’ve had a nice run with him. I thought he deserved a chance to get tested, and see how good he really is,” Dibona said. “He’s sharp. He’s ready.”
Luis Saez has the return call on Fly the W.
Rainbow 6 Carryover at $96,592 for Saturday’s Mandatory Payout
The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Friday at Gulfstream Park, growing the jackpot carryover to $96,592.08 ahead of Saturday’s mandatory payout of the popular multi-race wager.
Two horses were live to take down the jackpot heading into Friday’s Race 10 finale, won in front-running fashion by favored Rod Two Rod ($4.80). Multiple tickets with all six winners each returned 3,223.14.
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 days’ pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. However, on mandatory payout days the entire pool is paid out to the bettor or bettor with the most winners.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11 and includes the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3), $100,000 St. Augustine overnight handicap, $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) and $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2) in Races 8-11.
Also on Saturday’s card is the $125,000 Rampart for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile in Race 5.
Who’s Hot: Jockey Jose Ortiz registered back-to-back wins Friday with Seat At the Table ($34.20) in Race 2 and Portofino ($4.60) in Race 3 … Irad Ortiz Jr. also doubled aboard Miss Sayely ($5.80) in Race 4 and Bring Theband Home ($11.60) in Race 6, as did Paco Lopez on Baha Secret ($15.40) in Race 1 and Outlaw Country ($12.40) in Race 7 … Both Seat At the Table and Bring Theband Home are trained by Mark Casse.