Last Judgment (2) led at every  call and won Saturday's Challenger Stakes (Grade 3) at Tampa Bay Dow.ns on Saturday.

Last Judgment, the 7-5 favorite, beat Modernist (5) by 2 1/4 lengths in the 1 1/16 mile dirt stakes for -YO and up. War Stopper (3) finished third in the five-horse-field.

Daniel Centeno rode Last Judgment for trainer Mike Maker.  He won in the very fast time of 1:41.98 on the track listed as Fast.

The track record is 1:41.75, set by  Stanford in  winning the Challenger in 015.

The $75,000 Columbia Stakes is coming up as the seventh race with post at 3:22 and carried  on RadioStPete

It is one mile on turf  for 3-YO. Our handicapper Bob Bauer picks Crew  Dragon (3) and suggests an exacta box of that horse with Whatmakessanmyrun (6) and Heat of the Night (8)

Challenger Stakes Coming Up at Tampa Bay

The first of Saturday's five stakes races is coming up at Tampa Bay Downs on Festival Day.

It is the $100,000 Challenger Stakes (Grade 3) at 1 1/16 miles on dirt for 4-YOs and up with post at 2:18 p.m.

RadioStPete will carry Richard Grunder's  live call.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Challenger drew only five entrants.

Bob Bauer, handicapper for HRFLA and RadioStPete, is picking War Stopper (3)  to win. 

War Stopper, one of several Challenger runners with speed, is coming off wins at 1 1/16 miles and one mile in high-end optional claimers at Gulfstream Park. Luis Saez is riding for Todd Pletcher

Saez, coming over from Gulfstream, has mounts in ten Tampa races today.  Pletcher has five horses running at Tampa today.

For an exacta Bob recommends a box of Jungle Fighter (1), Last Judgment (2) and War Stopper (3).

 

HRFLA and RadioStPete Team Up to Cover Tampa Bay Derby

HRFLA Staff Report

Saturday, March 6 --Tampa Bay Downs will hold its 41st annual Festival Day today, with the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (Grade 2) for three-year-olds and four other stakes races.

HorseRacingFLA will have coverage throughout the afternoon on this blog and on the air conjunction with Internet station RadioStPete.

The Oldsmar, Fla., track  has a 12-race card with first post of 12:17 p.m.

Conditions are Fast and Firm.  The Weather Channel forecast is for temperatures in the mid 60's and a less than 30 percent chance of rain.

The Tampa Bay Derby is the 11th race with scheduled post of 5:25 p.m. It is 1 1/16 miles on dirt and is a points qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby which will be run May 1 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The first stakes race is the Challenger (Grade 3) at 1 1/16  miles on dirt  for 4-YOs and up with scheduled post of 2:18 p.m. 

RadioStPete will carry track announcer Richard Grunder's live calls on all five stakes races.

Joe Bourdow, RadioStPete general manager, will introduce each stakes and provide a post-race analysis.

His pre-race reports will include the picks of Bob Bauer, HRFLA associate editor for Tampa Bay and handicapper.

HRFLA editor Jim Freer will have reports on the stakes on this blog.

Eaeky this afternoon, our blog will have an expanded preview that includes Bauer's selections

Gulfstream: Three Stakes Races on Saturday; Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payoff on Sunday

HRFLA Staff Report

A  trio of stakes races and a $775,105 carryover on the Rainbow 6 will be the major attractions at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.

First post will be 12:10 p.m. for a twelve-race card.

The Rainbow 6 will be on races seven to  twelve, with the sequence scheduled to start at 3:10 p.m. It is a 20 cents per combination-only bet that requires picking the winners of each of the final six races.

On Sunday, Gulfstream will have a mandatory payout on the Rainbow 6 jackpot/carryover--no matter the number of tickets with all six wining horses. If the carryover continues into Sunday, we expect it will draw in more than $5 million in new bets on Sunday. (Details maybe found later in this story.)

Saturday Races 

This link to the Equibase Web site has the Gulfstream entries for Saturday. It has click-ons for handicapping material. Some is free.  Some, including Past Performances, is at cost.  

The Weather Channel forecast is for the chance of rain to increase from zero percent at 12:00 p.m. to more than 80 percent late in the afternoon.

We will have updates on weather conditions and scratches.

The stakes races are:

*9th race: $75,000 Hutcheson--six furlongs dirt, 3-YOs, scheduled post 4:14 p.m,

*10th race: $75,000 Captiva Island--5 furlongs turf, fillies and mares 4-YO and up, scheduled post 4:46 p.m.

*11th race: $75,000 Any Limit--six furlongs dirt, 3-YO fillies, scheduled post 5:19 p.m.

Later on Saturday, we will have previews and coverage of the stakes on this blog.

Open for Fans

Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach, Fla., is again open to fans.  But Gulfstream is limiting attendance to 2,000 as it continues its efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Tickets, starting at $11, are required for admission. Details, including ticket availability, may be obtained by calling the Gulfstream box office at (954) 457-6201.

Gulfstream was closed entirely to spectators or open on just a limited basis from last March 15 through  late last month.

Rainbow 6

On Friday, each ticket with all six Rainbow 6 winners were paid  $1,545.80 on a 20 cent bet.

HorseRacingFLA's review of Equibase charts shows there were 120 winning tickets.

Program numbers of the six winning horses were 3-6-6-5-1-4.

Wagering was $331,180 on the Rainbow 6.

Per its rules on most days with multiple wining tickets, Gulfstream took out 20 percent of the new bets.  It then divided 56 percent among tickets with the moat winners  and added 24 percent to the carryover.

The Rainbow 6  jackpot is made up of the entire carryover and 80 percent of the new Rainbow 6 bets.

Gulfstream usually pays it out only on days when there is just one ticket with all six winners.

On a mandatory day such as this Sunday, Gulfstream pays out the jackpot no matter the number of winning tickets.

Gulfstream history shows that when a carryover reaches $700,000--and Gulfstream promotes it several days in advance--it will draw $5 million or more in new Rainbow 6 bets.

If there is just one ticket that takes down the jackpot on Saturday, there will be a mandatory payout on Sunday with a new pool,

The prospect of an 80 percent payout from that new money likely would draw in about $1 million in bets.