Gulfstream Rainbow 6 Pays $1,086.34 on Normal Day

The Rainbow 6 returned to normal at Gulfstream Park today, one day after yesterday's large mandatory payout.

There were multiple tickets with the winning horses in all six races, and each paid $1,086.34.  By our calculation, there were 38 such tickets.

There will be a new carryover of $17,692.02 when Gulfstream resumes racing on Wednesday.  First post is 12:35 p.m. for the ten-race card. The Rainbow 6, a 20-cent only bet, starts on the fifth race.

In today's Rainbow 6 races, there were no winners at higher than 4-1 odds.

Bettors put $73,742 into the Rainbow 6 today.

There is a 20 percent takeout on the Rainbow 6.  On days with multiple winning tickets, Gulfstream divides 56 percent  of the bet among holders of those tickets and puts 24 percent into the carryover

Gulfstream pays out the "jackpot" of 80 percent of the day's bet plus the carryover only when there is just one ticket with all six winners.

Through Friday, there were 52 straight days with multiple winners--thus producing a growing carryover.

The carryover was $4,503,332 going into yesterday (March 26)--a day which Gulfstream for two weeks had hyped as a mandatory payout day for the carryover with a payment among multiple winning tickets.

Bettors yesterday added  $10,782,375, a North American record for a Pick 6.

That helped generate a 12-race all-sources handle of $25,941,217.  That is third-highest in Gulfstream history, behind only Florida Derby day last year and in 2014.

There were 147 winning Rainbow 6 tickets, with each paying $89,456.54.

Gulfstream will have another Rainbow 6 mandatory payoff on Sunday April 3, the last day of its championship meet.  Gulfstream will begin its spring meet on Wednesday April 6.

Florida rules prohibit pari-mutuels from carrying over a bet from one meet to the next.

By setting a mandatory payout for yesterday, Gulfstream held it on a Saturday prior to next Saturday's Florida Derby--which does not need an added incentive for bettors.

Yesterday's mandatory payout also took some fan interest and incalculable betting dollars away from Fair Grounds in New Orleans, which had the biggest day of its meet including the Louisiana Derby (Grade 2) and three other graded stakes.

Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., a fierce rival of Stronach Group which owns Gulfstream.
--Jim Freer