Twenty-four hours after an outstanding Pegasus World Cup Day capped off by the dominating victory by White Abarrio in Florida’s biggest race, Gulfstream Park has a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6. The carryover is just over $559k with track officials estimating it reaches four million dollars plus. Four of the six races are on the turf, including the first and final legs. Let’s close out the week right!


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 6:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4 Corruption; 9 King d’Oro
Backups: 7 Fredo

Forecast: The pace should be contentious in this $50k starter at one mile over the lawn. This should benefit #9 King d’Oro. The 4-1-second choice on Brian Nadeau’s morning line moves back to the lawn after winning going away at odds-on against slightly lesser to close out his 4YO campaign. He has hit the board in 7 of 9 over this turf course, retains Irad Ortiz Jr., and is the likeliest winner of the opener.

#4 Corruption will be a much bigger price though. The $220k OBS April 2023 purchase only beat one horse home in his first two starts, but trainer Mark Casse dropped him in for a tag and adding blinkers on January 12. He ran like a new horse earning his first victory by a measured half length. I like his chances to work on another great trip under Dylan Davis in his initial try versus winners. #7 Fredo will probably have to work in the early stages making him tough to endorse as the morning line favorite, but speed is dangerous on this course as we know. I will include as a backup.



Race 7:
Grade: B
Main Ticket: 1 Tiger Twenty Four; 6 Solid Left; 8 Murabeh
Backups: None

Forecast: I am hoping to separate from the public some in this two-turn MSW event for 3YOs over the main track where Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher has both morning line favorites. #4 Adventurist commanded $500k at the Keeneland September 2023 sale and is a half-brother to 2024 Blue Grass runner-up Just a Touch, but I am expecting him to need the race before flashing his best. #7 No Escape holds the experience edge over his stablemate after a runner-up finish in his debut at Tampa Bay Downs. The Into Mischief colt encountered a bit of a traffic on the first turn and chased a lone speed wire-to-wire winner, but the race did not come back very quick. He could get over bet.

I will try to beat the Pletcher uncoupled entry with #1 Tiger Twenty Four. The Peachtree Stable colt stretches out to two-turns for the first time after completely botching the break in his first start. He will need to figure out those gate issues and move forward with the additional ground, but he showed some run late against a far better group than he encounters here. I will also include #6 Solid Left, who was caught five-wide early before tiring late in his debut on December 28 and #8 Murabeh, who moves to the dirt after debuting over the lawn last month.




Race 8:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 6 Anybody But You; 7 Movin On Up
Backups: None

Forecast: #3 Perilous, #4 Swoonatra, and #9 Spinning Colors amongst others should ensure an honest early pace in this 8.5-furlong test over the grass. 7-2-morning line favorite #1 Diamond Vega has only raced once in the States and it was last March against better. Theoretically, she should get a great trip from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr, but she has been off a long time. Trainer Chad Brown is obviously capable off of a long layoff, but relaxing along the inside off the break could be a challenge.

I prefer both #6 Anybody But You and #7 Movin’ On Up. Anybody But You was really good in her off the pace debut score over this course on December 8. She overcame a slow start and being caught wide throughout to win by over a length in the end. If she avoids regression, I expect her to handle this field. If not, Movin On Up makes sense. Her upside is nowhere near that of Anybody But You, but she has three career wins and could fall into a favorable stalking trip under Edgard Zayas.



Race 9:
Grade: C
Main Ticket: 7 Bold Journey; 5 Loco Abarrio; 6 Cyclone Mischief; 2 Mr Skylight
Backups: None

Forecast: A tricky third-level allowance at 6.5-furlongs kicks off the second half of the Sunday Rainbow 6. I wish I had a strong stance in this race, especially on 9-5-morning line favorite #7 Bold Journey. The son of Hard Spun is the clear class of the field, but has not raced since his tenth-place finish in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on March 30. His best crushes these, but what we get in his 6YO debut remains to be seen.

Overall, I just lack much of an opinion in here. I will use the two morning line choices and a pair of prices in #2 Mr Skylight and #5 Loco Abarrio. Mr Skylight put forth a career best over this surface two-back and was in over his head in the Mr. Prospector (G3). Loco Abarrio attracts Luis Saez and could take advantage of the lack of early speed signed on.




Race 10:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4 Asher’s Edge; 10 Heymackit’sjack; 6 Born Flashy; 7 Playground Legend
Backups: None

Forecast: #8 Jefe de Obra is capable of besting this full field of first-level allowance foes in this 5-furlong turf sprint, but will beat me if he does. The Wesley Ward trainee has not crossed the wire first since his win in Chile on December ’22 as even-money before shipping to the States. He has lost five straight since and In his first start over this course on December 1, he was turned away in by a 13-1 shot that has only hit the board twice in 8 tries. He is the type of favorite I will always fade.

I much prefer a few horses that can settle mid-pack early and come with a strong run late. #4 Asher’s Edge, #6 Born Flashy, #7 Playground Legend, and #10 Heymackit’sjack are the ones who fit that profile. They should get an honest pace to run at.



Race 11:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 Champagne Brunch; 2 Brown Sugar; 9 Candy Buzz; 7 Moon Gate
Backups: None

Forecast: I am not in love with any of the 3YO fillies that have competed at two-turns over the Gulfstream Park thus far in their career. Unfortunately, that lands me on mostly logicals based on the morning line.

#1 Champagne Brunch draws favorably to the inside in her first start going two-turns and racing over the grass. She has every reason to relish both. #2 Brown Sugar took a ton of money on debut in a 12-horse field at Churchill Downs in late November and is bred on the bottom side to love more ground. #7 Moon Gate has not raced since a pair of turf sprints in New York last summer, but should find herself in a favorable forward position off the bench. #9 Candy Buzz is the biggest price by far of my quartet. She only beat a few horses home in her debut, but was cost all chance at the start. Leaving off the “other Saffie Joseph” with an unknown commodity feels like a poor life choice.

Best of luck!!