How to bet the mandatory Pick 6 payouts at Gulfstream and Turfway Park

A pair of Pick 6 jackpots will undergo mandatory dispersals on Saturday, events made all the more exciting by the high-class nature of the races involved.

At Gulfstream Park, a $951,991 Rainbow 6 carryover is on tap, and with five stakes in the sequence—including the Florida Derby (G1)—the final pool is estimated to reach $7.5 million.

Meanwhile, Turfway Park has assembled an all-stakes Single 6 highlighted by the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3). Since Saturday is closing day of the meet, the $1,006 Single 6 jackpot must be disperses among all winning bettors.

Want to play along? We’ve assembled tickets for both sequences, highlighting a pair of logical singles in each wager:

Gulfstream Park: $951,991 Rainbow 6 carryover

The Rainbow 6 kicks off in Race 9, a competitive allowance optional claiming race with 11 entries. You can make a case for most of the horses in this one-mile turf test, so rather than split hairs, we’ll hit the “ALL” button and hope to catch a longshot winner.

We can afford to spread in the opener because there are two viable singles later in the sequence. Race 11, the Cutler Bay S., features a standout in #6 Annex (5-2). The son of Constitution is unbeaten in two starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, producing powerful rallies to win a maiden race and the Palm Beach S. over the Gulfstream turf course. Annex boasts an impressive turn-of-foot and will be tough to hold off down the lane.

#9 Always Shopping (8-5) appears similarly formidable in Race 13, the Orchid (G3). Victorious in her last three starts over the Gulfstream turf course, the Todd Pletcher-trained mare enters off a romping win in the 1 1/2-mile La Prevoyante (G3). Cutting back to 1 3/8 miles shouldn’t be any issue at all, and Always Shopping has the tactical speed to work out a clean trip under leading rider Irad Ortiz.

Race 9, 20-cent Rainbow 6: ALL with 1,7,8 with 6 with 1,3 with 9 with 5,7,10 ($39.60)

Turfway Park: $1,006 Single 6 carryover

Several of these races look ultra-competitive, including the Rushaway S. (Race 6), which kicks off the sequence. Just seven horses have been entered, but you can make a case for all of them.

To keep costs down, we’ll take a stand with two singles in the middle of the sequence. In the 6 1/2-furlong Animal Kingdom S. (Race 8) for three-year-olds, we’ll favor #4 Outadore (3-1), the third-place finisher from the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). Racing for leading trainer Wesley Ward and top jockey Gerardo Corrales (who have struck at 43% rate together over the last 60 days), Outadore is 2-for-2 sprinting and brings sharp workouts to the equation, setting the stage for a big effort in his sophomore debut.

I’m also expecting a sharp run from #2 Set Piece (8-5) in Race 9, the Kentucky Cup Classic. The stretch-running gelding is 2-for-2 over the Turfway Tapeta, most notably rallying to defeat a strong field in the Prairie Bayou S. He wasn’t disgraced when finishing fourth in the Fair Grounds (G3) on turf last month and should rebound while returning to Turfway.

Race 6, 20-cent Single 6: 5,6,7 with 1,2,3,7,12 with 4 with 2 with 3,6,7,8,10 with 2,7,10 ($45)

Good luck!