FSS Prep Proud Man Featured in Rainbow 6 Sequence
Alternate Rock Takes on Elders in Saturday’s Wasted Tears

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 Gross Jackpot Pool will be guaranteed at $375,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the 17th racing day following a mandatory payout.

The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 5-10, featuring the $65,000 Proud Man Stakes, in which seven of the eight entrants are eligible for the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series that gets underway at Gulfstream Sept. 9. The Race 9 feature, which will be contested by 2-year-olds going six furlongs, offers a $25,000 win-only bonus to a Florida-bred winner.

Antonio Sano-trained Divieto, the only Kentucky-bred in the field, is rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite on the strength of an impressive career debut July 21. The son of Dialed In defeated stablemate Le Dom Bro by 4 ½ lengths. Le Dom Bro came back Friday to graduate at Saratoga.

Juan Alvarado-trained Reaper, who captured the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows last time out; Jose D’Angelo-trained Bentornato, who rallied from off the pace to win his recent debut; Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Big Effect, who graduated smartly after getting caught late by Bentornato in his debut; and Michael Yates-trained Keep On Coming, an easy winner in his May 5 debut; are all prime candidates for the FSS series.

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.

Alternate Rock Takes on Elders in Saturday’s Wasted Tears

Trainer Jose D’Angelo’s primary focus Saturday will be fixed on debut winner Bentornato’s return in the $65,000 Proud Man Stakes, a steppingstone to the upcoming FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series, but his attention will be temporarily diverted one race earlier on the Gulfstream Park program by multiple stakes-placed Alternate Rock.

The 3-year-old daughter of Alternation enters the $60,000 Wasted Tears, a 1 1/16-mile overnight handicap on Tapeta, as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in a field of eight older fillies and mares on the strength of recent performances over the all-weather surface. In her three starts on Tapeta, Alternate Rock’s only loss came in a second-place finish in the Martha Washington Stakes two starts back.

Alternate Rock, who was also stakes-placed on turf last year, has raced exclusively against 3-year-old fillies this year for Golden Rock Thoroughbreds LLC.

“This will be her first race against older horses. She’s a very good filly, and I expect her to run a very good race,” said D’Angelo, whose Florida-bred filly is coming off an impressive optional claiming allowance victory in which she set the pace and fought back after being headed in the stretch. “She has a lot of speed and I know the race has a lot of speed, so we have to be smart. It’s her first racing against older horses and the pace of the race doesn’t look favorable for her, so we have to be smart.”

Hector Diaz Jr., who has been aboard for two victories and the Martha Washington placing in Alternate Rock’s three most recent starts, has the return call.

Alternate Rock has been assigned 116 pounds, four fewer than 120-pound highweight Cindylouwho, a 5-year-old mare who is undefeated in two starts on Tapeta for trainer Nicholas Palmer. Owned by David and Teresa Palmer, Cindylouwho came alive in her ninth career start to graduate while beating the boys in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race in her first start on Tapeta. The daughter of Bodemeister came right back to score by 3 ½ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on the all-weather surface July 23.

Mercy Man Racing’s Midnight Bella and Dennis Smith and Daniel Walters’ Empress Ellie have both been assigned 119 pounds. Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Midnight Bella is a 6-year-old mare who has won 10 of 34 races. Rohan Crichton-trained Empress Ellie won back-to-back races at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta before finishing off the board last time out in the Powder Break.

Daniel Hurtak’s Swoonatra (117), Racing Bull Stables Inc.’s Smart Spending (116), Jibaro Stable’s Double Cosmo Girl (114) and Arindel’s Coco (113) round out the field.