HALLANDALE BEACH – There’s going to be approximately a half million reasons to play Gulfstream Park’s 20-cent Rainbow 6 Thursday afternoon.

Unsolved for 10 consecutive racing days, the 20-cent wager has a carryover going into Thursday’s nine-race program of $318,884.85 and that is expected to grow to near $500,000.

With a big weekend approaching, Gulfstream hosts and analysts Jason Blewitt and Acacia Courtney take a shot at solving Thursday’s Rainbow 6.

First race post Thursday at Gulfstream is 2 p.m. The Rainbow 6 sequence will begin with the fourth race, a $50,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-old fillies.

The carryover jackpot 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.

Jason Blewitt: I think I speak for every racing fan (myself included) in that now would be a great time to hammer Gulfstream’s Rainbow 6 jackpot. Who wouldn’t want a flush bankroll going into Gulfstream’s weekend races and with Saratoga and Del Mar opening this week?  Well, I am set to take my shot on a $43.20 Rainbow 6 ticket, anchored and built around the seventh race and Nikki’s Cause, my best bet. She gets major points for her solid consistency, despite a couple of recent narrow defeats. I’m spreading with four horses in the first leg (fourth race), and using a couple solid favorites (Treasure for Gold, Mahvelous Kitten) in the fifth race. In the closer, an insanely tough turf maiden claimer, I’m using three - Lady and Me, Rigel’s Halo and 8-1 shot Rate of Return.

Here’s hoping I see you in line cashing by nightfall Thursday at GP!

Ticket:

R4: 2-3-6-7

R5: 5-6     

R6: 1-3-10

R7: 2          

R8: 6-7-8   

R9: 1-2-7        

Cost: $43.20

Acacia Courtney: With a carryover of more than $300,000, Thursday’s Rainbow 6 is definitely worth trying.

The sequence begins with two-year-old fillies in a maiden claiming race, and I used two first time starters (Pretty Miss Kitty and American Jak) and one horse with experience (Blazing Brooke). This is the type of race that I’d want to have a little bit of coverage in when beginning the Rainbow 6, and also take some time to watch the board and see how these inexperienced horses are acting.  

Using two horses in each of the next three legs, a potential single could be Telesa (3) in the sixth race. However, I decided to use my longshot play, Forty’s Sweetheart, on my ticket as well, hoping that the drop in class will wake that filly up. Wrapping up the sequence with three horses in the final two legs, the 8th race looks like it centers around Song of Melody (8), but I opted to use some coverage on the back end of my ticket to bring it home.

Ticket:

R4: 2-3-7

R5: 3-6

R6: 3-7

R7: 2-6

R8: 1-5-8

R9: 2-4-6

Cost - $43.20