Octane Favored for Saturday’s Sunshine Classic

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 gross jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $600,000 for Saturday’s program at Gulfstream Park.

The popular multi-race wager has gone unsolved for 14 consecutive racing days following a mandatory payout Dec. 30.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, featuring the $75,000 Sunshine Classic in Race 9.

A mile maiden claiming race kicks off the Rainbow 6 sequence, followed by a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race for 3-year-olds on turf. Todd Pletcher-trained Triple Espresso is rated at the 8-5 morning-line favorite who debuted in September with a second-place finish in the Kitten’s Joy at Colonial Downs. After finishing fifth in the Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct, the son of Omaha Beach finished third in a maiden special weight Nov. 11 at Aqueduct. Pletcher will also send out We Love This Game, a first-time starter by Justify. Ian Wilkes-trained Black Diamond, who finished third in his only turf start, returns as a gelding, Lasix on, blinkers off.

Irad Ortiz Jr., who has teamed with trainer Rohan Crichton for a 34-percent strike rate, will be aboard Cruzin Man, the 7-5 morning-line favorite in Race 9, an option claiming allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on Tapeta. The Chrichton trainee is coming off a front-running victory under Ortiz last time out. Heals the Soul, who won for Ortiz and Chrichton last time out, is slated to make his first start off the claim for trainer Georgina Baxter.

Juan Alvarado-trained Octane has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite in a field of seven Florida-breds assembled for the Race 9 Sunshine Classic, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for older state-breds. Octane, a graded stakes-placed multiple stakes winner, has amassed earnings of more than $675,000. Herman Wilensky-trained Lure Him In, rated second at 5-2 on the line, drops from a wide off-the-board finish in the Harlan’s Holiday (G3) that following a sharp front-running optional claiming allowance score first off the claim.

Race 10, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses, has attracted an evenly matched field of allowance runners, including Bill Mott-trained Baby Yoda, who is coming off a runner-up finish, George Weaver-trained Let It Ride, who will seek to rebound from a subpar showing in a Laurel stakes, and Dale Romans-trained Deer District, who returns off a long layoff since finishing second in the Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga in July..

The Rainbow 6 sequence concludes with a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight event for 3-year-olds on turf in Race 11. The 11-horse field includes well-bred first-time starters trained by Chad Brown, George Weaver and Pletcher, who is slated to saddle a pair of debuters.

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.

Who’s Hot: Hall of Famer Javier Castellano doubled aboard Battle of Dover ($6.20) in Race 2 and Oro Oro ($22.00) in Race 9.