Rainbow Winners Score to the Tune of $89,456
Saturday, March 26, 2016

    You have to hand it to the "pool prognosticators." With the Rainbow Pick 6 at Gulfstream Park set to be given away today, and a carryover of $4,503,332 on the line, the pool prognosticators prognosticated that there might be more than $15 million in the pot by the time wagering closed prior to the seventh race. They were 8/5 to be wrong, however, they were right on the money.

    More than $10.7 million went through the windows, telephones, computers, and various other types of ADW accounts. With a 20 percent takeout on the Pick 6, that left about $8.7 million to be added to the carryover, meaning thousands of players were putting together 20-cent tickets in search of some part of more than $13.2 million. Those who were sharp enough to include Mighty Mo ($8.60), Deer Dog ($15.80), Rose's Dancer ($31.80), Bibbo ($18.80), Harmonize ($6.00) and Appa ($14.20) made a score of $89,456. That is, assuming they bet less than $89,000 to achieve their purpose. Dividing $13.2 million by $89,456 and we get somewhere around 147 winners celebrating at their favorite restaurants tonight.  

    Oddly enough, not one of the six winners went off favored - even Harmonize was second choice behind Lira ($1.90-1).     

    I've never been a big fan of the Rainbow because it temporarily takes too much money out of circulation, but I must admit, it gets very exciting when there's a mandatory payout. Especially of this size. Unfortunately for the smaller players who didn't dive in with both fists, they were probably done after two or three races and didn't get to experience the euphoria of watching the final race with a major score on the line.  

    For the record, the total handle for the Gulfstream program was another blockbuster - $25,941,217. Imagine what it could have been if there was still somebody left who liked the sport. 

    WHAT A PRODUCER - One of the most remarkable broodmares in Florida over the past 20 years has been Win Approval, Live Oak Stud's daughter of With Approval, who is the dam of Miesque's Approval (12 victories, $2.6 million), Za Approval (9 victories, $1.9 million) and Revved Up (20 victories, $1.5 million), among several other lesser winners. All raced in Charlotte Weber's Live Oak colors. 

    In today's eighth race at Fair Grounds, the $300,000, Gr. II Munoz Memorial Handicap, another runner from the family finished second. World Approval came from far back under Julien Leparoux and picked up a check for $50,000. The 4-year-old gelding by Northern Afleet is 5-1-2 in 12 starts with earnings of $478,450 and he's getting better. 

    While the clowns on TVG were mispronouncing Leparoux all day, they added another goodie to their growing list. The horse inside World Approval was Potomac River, and they called him P-atomic. C'est la vie, Julien would say. 

    A VOTE FOR FRANKIE - The folks at Santa Anita decided - after testing many candidates - that Michael Wrona was the best fit to replace recently-retired announcer Trevor Denman. I guess they didn't want to disrupt the strange accent we grew to love from Denman. But I think they made a mistake; Frank Mirahmadi is at least as good as anybody in the country, and better than most.  

    BEWARE OF SHILLS - Being a shill for advertisers and sponsors is a regular occurrence, most people in our business do it. But when boosting the clients, there should at least be an element of truth involved. The TVGers constantly pump up Keeneland when a Keeneland horse wins a race. Fine. But yesterday, in doing so with Land Over Sea, who had just won the Gr. II Fair Grounds Oaks, trainer-analyst Ron Ellis felt obligated to mention that the 3-year-old filly was quite a bargain - she was sold at Keeneland for $42,000. 

    Yes, it's true that Victor Davila bought Land Over Sea for $42,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2014. However, he pinhooked her at OBS April last year and she brought $130,000 from Dennis O'Neill. She now runs in the colors of Reddam Racing LLC with Doug O'Neill as her trainer. Come on guys, get serious. And Ellis, of all people, should know better. Especially when the $130,000 OBS April tag was listed right there among her Racing Form past performances for all to see.

    

    

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