Lopez Makes Triumphant Return from Clasico del Caribe

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool was hit for a $358,032.19 payoff Wednesday at Gulfstream Park. The popular multi-race wager had gone unsolved for 14 consecutive racing days.

One lucky bettor purchased a ticket with all six winners on Wednesday’s nine-race card, including Soul of an Angel, who pulled off a 35-1 upset in the Race 8 feature.

Gerald James-trained South of an Angel ($74.40) rallied off a hot early pace with a wide sweep into the stretch to get the jump on highly regarded Avow and register a 2 ½-length victory in the mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds and up. Shaun Bridgmohan rode the winner, who ran a mile in a swift 1:35.74. Avow, who had to wait for room on the turn into the homestretch, made a strong kick to finish second, 10 ½ lengths ahead of Three Witches.

The Late Pick 5 paid $126,864.70.

The Rainbow 6 jackpot is 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.

The winning combination was 4-3-8-4-2-6.

The Rainbow 6 will start anew Thursday.

Lopez Makes Triumphant Return from Clasico del Caribe

Paco Lopez rode Smart Spending for a victory in Wednesday’s Gulfstream Park opener in his first ride back from a successful weekend trip to Venezuela.

Lopez rode Mexican-bred Iniesta to a win in the $500,000 Clasico del Caribe at La Rinconada.

“It was my first time riding in Venezuela. I got the offer from Mexico to ride what looked like the best horse in the race,” Lopez said. “There were 30,000 people screaming. It was fun for all of us jockeys,”

Lopez ventured from Gulfstream to Venezuela for Sunday’s multi-race Clasico Internacional del Caribe, along with Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, Emisael Jaramillo and Miguel Vasquez.

Irad and Jose Ortiz, who enjoyed success in the Clasico event for Caribbean horses when it was hosted by Gulfstream for three renewals, also rode in Venezuela for the first time. Both were winners Sunday, Irad on Templario in the Invitacional del Caribe and on Sharapova in the Copa Confraternidad del Caribe, and Jose on Futuro in the Copa Velocidad del Caribe.

“It’s crazy there. The people there support the sport there, big time. When you’re over there, a jockey is like a baseball player,” Irad Ortiz Jr. said Wednesday.