Rainbow 6 Jackpot Hit Sunday for $263,655 Payoff

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - Gentry Farms’ West Coast Cowboy withstood a stern stretch challenge before kicking away to an impressive triumph in Sunday’s co-featured Race 6 at Gulfstream Park.

Making his first start since finishing seventh in the April 1 Curlin Florida Derby (G1), the graded stakes-placed son of West Coast scored by 2 ½ lengths under Edgard Zayas in the mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds.

West Coast Cowboy ($3.80) stalked the pace while racing two and three-wide before taking over the lead on the turn into the homestretch. After straightening out in the stretch, he was quickly challenged by Big Data, who had saved ground into the stretch. As quickly as he was challenged, West Coast Cowboy scooted clear of his rival to win comfortably.

“He’s a big, immature horse. He’s a poor work horse. If you watched his works, you’d never think he has this much ability,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “When that horse came to him, it looked like he was going to get beat, but then all of a sudden, he ran on. He’s a May foal, a big, tall horse. He’s kind of growing into his frame. We were trying to find an easier spot after the Florida Derby.”

West Coast Cowboy ran a one-turn mile in 1:37.16 over a muddy track. Bid Data held second, a neck ahead of Knox.

West Coast Cowboy finished third in the Feb. 6 Holy Bull (G3) prior to running in the Florida Derby, which apparently will not be his last Derby.

“There are so many Derbies around now, we’ll try to find one that we can fit in,” Joseph said.

In the Race 9 co-feature, a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up, Cajun’s Magic ($11.20) held off a late surge by multiple-stakes winner Noble Drama by a half-length to capture his first race of the year. The Michael Yates trainee, who ran in the 2022 Curlin Florida Derby, ran a mile in 1:37.64.

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Hit Sunday for $263,655 Payoff

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool was hit for a $263,655.91 payoff Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The popular multi-race wager had gone unsolved for 11 racing days following a mandatory payout.

Sunday’s winning combination was 5-6-6-6-2-3.

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.

The Rainbow 6 will start anew Friday. The Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, featuring a high-quality field of 3-year-olds and up in Race 6, a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight event with a Todd Pletcher-trained son of Practical Joke, Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained son of Maclean’s Music, Jenna Antonucci-trained son of Munnings and Vernon Allison-trained son of Cairo.

Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Novo Sol, a multiple graded stakes-placed 6-year-old, headlines a field of eight 3-year-olds and up in the Race 8 feature, a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming allowance on Tapeta. Novo Sol, who finished third in the Autumn on Tapeta at Woodbine last fall, will be making his second start off a layoff following a late-fading seventh in the April 1 Pan American (G2) on turf.

Earlier on Friday’s program, a field of eight 2-year-old fillies will be featured in Race 2, a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race. Arindel’s Cherokee brings an edge in experience into the race, having finished second twice. Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Epona’s Hope, a half to $400,000 earner Schivarelli, is scheduled to debut Friday.

There will be a Super Hi-5 carryover of $6,881.83 heading into Friday’s nine-race card.