After a day that saw Guns Loaded hold on to win the Macho Macho Man and Nitrogen put in a strong late run in the Ginger Brew from off the pace, Gulfstream Park has a mandatory payout in the Rainbow 6. With over $337K in carryover money and a challenging sequence, track officials are estimating the pool could reach $3M!

Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.


Race 5:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 Sol d’Oro; 4 Tellus Mater; 3 Just Siliva
Backups: None

Forecast: The sequence kicks off with a MSW event for 3YO fillies going two-turns over the lawn. I am not in love with the horses coming in with experience, so I am will lean on a trio of first-time starters. #1 Sol d’Oro debuts for Christophe Clement. Clement is 11 for 58 with 3YOs debuting in turf routes over the last three years with a strong ROI of $3.16 and this filly is the first foal out of a mare that won 6 of 25 over the grass and earned $358K. #4 Tellus Mater also appears live at first asking for trainer Graham Motion. She is a daughter of American Pharoah and out of a Dubawi mare that is a half-sister to multiple-graded stakes winner overseas, Zoffany. Finally, I will include the Whisper Hill Farm homebred #3 Just Silvia. The Todd Pletcher trainee is out of an extremely strong female family and comes in off a steady series of drills at Palm Beach Downs.


Race 6:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 6 Hot Blooded
Backups: None

Forecast: An optional claimer at 1 1/16-miles over the all-weather is up next. I like #6 Hot Blooded. The 7YO gelding looks to make it two in a row over this surface after besting a field of state-bred optional claimers on November 22. Trainer Carlos David claimed the son of Declaration of War out of that victory and has freshened him up before bringing up to the races. Jockey Edgard Zayas returns to ride and should be able to work out a favorable mid-pack voyage off of what should be an honest, but not overly quick early pace.



Race 7:
Grade: C
Main Ticket: 9 Chanticleer
Backups: 6 War Commander; 10 Big Boy Jak, 2 Giftedbydesign

Forecast: I wish I was more creative in this $25K maiden claimer at two-turns over the all-weather, but I landed on the favorite #9 Chanticleer. The pricey Not This Time colt has certainly underperformed in his first two starts for Todd Pletcher, but those came against much-stronger competition. The 3YO colt gets Lasix for the first time, takes the big drop out of MSW special weight company, and is the one to beat.

#6 War Commander added blinkers for the first time last out, but was still a bit hard to control early when failing as the odds-on choice in a similar spot to end his 2023. A move forward could be good enough to best these. #10 Big Boy Jak has had far more chances, but drops to the lowest level of his career for trainer Antonio Sano. His speed makes him dangerous, but is tough to get excited about after nine starts in Hallandale Beach already. #2 Giftedbydesign has not done much running through two starts, but gets class relief and a favorable outside draw for his first start over the surface.



Race 8:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 3 Vesting
Backups: 5 L’Antharis

Forecast: I am hopeful I can separate a bit from the public in this 10-furlong excursion over the grass with #3 Vesting. The Klaravich Stables runner makes his first start of 2024 after racing against the flow in the Gio Ponti at Aqueduct in October in a race dominated by gate-to-wire winner Donegal Momentum. The son of Blue Point should relish getting more ground and get a favorable inside stalking voyage under Tyler Gaffalione.

If Vesting is not ready off the bench or does not show the improvement I expect, #5 L’Antharis is the obvious alternative. The 6YO has lacked a will to win thus far in the States through two starts, but repeats of those 2023 performances in New York certainly could be good enough to beat this group.



Race 9:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 7 Hello Hello Hello
Backups: 4 Smile Po; 6 War Signal; 3 Mi Triguena

Forecast: #7 Hello Hello Hello was wisely scratched out of the Ginger Brew on the grass yesterday in favor of this high-level allowance over the Gulfstream synthetic. The Echo Town filly has been at her best over this surface winning by open lengths in her only two tries and should get an honest pace to chase under regular rider Leonel Reyes.

If Hello Hello Hello is not the same filly off the freshening #6 War Signal is the obvious alternative after a dominant win as the chalk in her first two turn start, but I also give a look to #4 Smile Po who has early speed and also opted for this spot over the Ginger Brew, as well as #3 Mi Triguena who has a win over this surface and gets Tyler Gaffalione for the intial time.



Race 10:
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 3 El Zain; 8 Just So Pretty
Backups: None

Forecast: The sequence concludes with a one-mile turf event for protected maidens. Obviously, an event for 4YOs and up that have yet to win is for either runners who got off to a late start to their career or have struggled to find the wire first multiple times. Of those that have competed, #8 Just So Pretty brings the strongest resume into the race for trainer Danny Gargan. Normally, I might start to get concerned with a morning line choice if they are running fast races, but showing a lack of desire to win. That does not seem to be the case though with this Justify filly who has outrun her odds multiple times and now finds a favorable spot.

I will use Just So Pretty, but I do not trust her enough to push all-in, so I will also include a first-time starter that still may have promise despite not getting to the races thus far. #3 El Zain was a $700k Keeneland September purchase back in 2022. He is out a mare that has been protective thus far in her after racing career and was 7 for 18 in two-turn turf routes as a racehorse earning nearly a million dollars. Obviously, one has to wonder what has taken him so long to get to the races, but he will not have to be all that much at first asking to beat this bunch.


Best of luck in the Rainbow!!