Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $375,000

Connections Pleased with Draws for Mystik Dan, White Abarrio
Baffert Decides Imagination Will Remain in California
Jockey Edwin Gonzalez Registers Sunday Hat Trick

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $375,000 when the 2024-2025 Championship Meet resumes with a nine-race program Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

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

The popular multi-race sequence begins in Race 4, a claiming event for 3-year-old fillies scheduled for one mile on the grass. Dude Ranch will be making her third start after finishing second and third in two sprints on the all-weather Tapeta. Unbounded Movement stretches out around two turns first time off the claim for trainer Jose D’Angelo.

Wednesday’s feature comes in Race 8, an optional claiming allowance for Florida-bred 4-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. Cashier Check, who has run second in 11 of 39 starts, looks to snap a string of four straight runner-up finishes. Shankar has won two of four starts since being claimed by Saffie Joseph Jr. Reminder was second, beaten a neck at odds of 26-1, in the 2023 Pulpit on the Gulfstream turf. Uncle Armando, second in three straight Tapeta races, races first off the claim for trainer Kent Sweezey.

The Race 9 finale is a one-mile grass claimer that drew 10 older horses including Debt Limit, a first-time starter for trainer Chad Brown, and $600,000 yearling Wheelhouse. A half-brother to 2018 champion 2-year-old filly Jaywalk and Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Danzatrice trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Wheelhouse ran seventh in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight Aug. 29 at Saratoga in her lone start.

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.

There will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 Sunday, Jan. 26.

Connections Pleased with Draws for Mystik Dan, White Abarrio

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan will have an easy week leading up to his 4-year-old debut in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park.

Seeking a return to the winner’s circle for the first time since last spring’s kickoff to the Triple Crown, Mystik Dan will break from Post 9 in a field of 12 older horses and is rated at 9-1 on the morning line.

“I’m sure he’ll be happy with that,” trainer Ken McPeek’s assistant, Nick Galati, said following Sunday’s post-position draw inside Gulfstream’s Carousel Club. “He’s training great; Dan’s just got to show up.”

Mystik Dan had his final work for the Pegasus Saturday at Gulfstream, going five furlongs in 59.95 seconds at Gulfstream. It was the second straight bullet move for Mystik Dan, after going the same distance in 59.48 Jan. 11.

“We were very happy with the way that he breezed and how he came back,” Galati said. “He was off today and he’s just going to gallop this week, maybe stand in the gate before that. All the hard work’s done.”

White Abarrio, winner of the 2022 Florida Derby (G1) and 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), drew Post 4 and is second choice on the morning line at 3-1 behind 5-2 favorite Locked. Saffie Joseph Jr. trained stablemate and fellow millionaire Skippylongstocking, rated at 10-1, will break from Post 10.

“White Abarrio drew well. If we could be anywhere between four and seven, that’s where you want to be,” Joseph said. “Skippy, 10 is a lot better than 12. We’re going to take it and hopefully he’ll make the best of it. We can’t complain.”

Skippylongstocking will be making his third straight Pegasus start, having run seventh from Post 7 in 2023 and being pulled up after pressing the pace from Post 12 in 2024. White Abarrio has won six times at Gulfstream including the Florida Derby and Holy Bull (G3) and exits a late-running second following some early trouble in the Dec. 26 Mr. Prospector.

“Skippy, from that post he’s going to need to not lose so much ground,” Joseph said. “It all depends on how he breaks. If he breaks and can get over a little, that’s fine. If not, we’re going to tuck him in. We’re not going to gamble again. We did it once and we learned from our mistake.

“White Abarrio, he’s in a good place mentally and I think that’s the most important thing. He needs to break better and hopefully he does,” he added. “We’ve schooled him quite a bit. I think if he breaks well and puts himself in the race, it’s going to take a lot to beat him.”

Baffert Decides Imagination Will Remain in California

Trainer Bob Baffert, who has saddled three Pegasus World Cup Invitational champions, decided to not run invitee and Santa Anita Derby (G1) runner-up Imagination in Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup (G1) after the 4-year-old worked six furlongs Saturday in 1:12.40 at Santa Anita Park.

“I would have loved to have gone,” Baffert said, “but when you’re shipping in there, you have to go in with a really strong hand. I think he could fit with those horses, but maybe not right now.”

Third in the Malibu (G1) Dec. 26, Baffert added; “He’s doing well, but he has to prove to me about the two turns before I ship anywhere. He is a horse that is a little immature and we have to figure him out.”

Baffert said Imagination would be pointed to the $200,000 San Pasqual (G2) at Santa Anita Saturday. Like the Pegasus, the San Pasqual is 1 1/8 mile.

Baffert has won the Pegasus three times since its inception in 2017. He saddled Arrogate to win the inaugural running in 2017 and then had victories with Mucho Gusto in 2020 and National Treasure last year. He is the only trainer with multiple wins in the race.

“It would be great to be in that race,” Baffert said. “I think it’s important to run these good horses in these races. I’m just not feeling it.”

Who’s Hot: Jockey Emisael Jaramillo registered a Sunday hat trick with Iron Hand ($6.40) in Race 2, Read On ($7) in Race 8 and Test Factor ($5.80) in Race 9 … Dylan Davis doubled aboard Smudge ($7.60) in Race 1 and Xenon ($8.60) in Race 7.