The 2025-2026 championship at Gulfstream Park kicks off again this Thursday, featuring a 10-race live card, an approximate $600,000 jackpot for the 20-cent Rainbow 6 wager, and daily Tropical Turf Pick 3 betting options. The first race is set to start at 12:20 p.m.
The Rainbow 6 has performed exceptionally well over the past nine race days, following multiple owed payouts of $71,527.20 from the January 24 Pegasus World Cup card. Since the championship opened on Thanksgiving, November 27, the largest jackpot payout reached $416,348.44 on January 8.
Thursday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will begin with race five, a Starter Optional Claiming race for three-year-olds contested over 1 1/16 miles on turf with 10 horses entered. The 9-2 favorite Bolero Bay, who previously won by seven lengths over seven and a half furlongs on turf in his January 4 Gulfstream start, is expected to lead this competitive field.
Race 6 highlights the first special stakes for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Five out of six entrants were sold for six-figure sums at auction. Among them is Song of Sarah, a chestnut filly by Hall of Fame sire Curlin, purchased for $500,000 as a two-year-old, who finished fifth in her debut on January 4. Another notable runner is Prom Queen, bred by Gary and Mary West, who debuted over one mile on January 23 as the second favorite. Also entered is Three to G, a Tiz the Law offspring, who finished a close second at 45-1 odds in a December 7 mile maiden turf race and now races under trainer Danny Gargan.
Thursday’s marquee race, the optional allowance for three-year-olds at seven and a half furlongs on turf, is Race 7. Kabul makes his turf debut and first start as a gelding after finishing seventh as an early pace setter on January 3. Jose D’Angelo’s Bronze Bullet, having made three starts on the Tapeta surface—most recently being demoted from first to second on November 28—will also attempt the grass.
Among recent winners under trainer Brian Lynch was Zucchero, who returned as a gelding to win front-running on December 5 at the race and distance. Triple Crown-nominated Doctrine, trained by Brad Cox, fell back after a winning debut on Gulfstream’s turf on January 4.
Race 8 is a 1 1/16-mile all-weather contest for fillies, featuring Mam’s Martini, a five-time winner now under trainer Safi Joseph Jr., who assumed a 25% stake following a runner-up finish on November 1. This will be her third straight start with the new trainer.
Race 9, a five and a half furlong sprint on Tapeta for older mares and fillies, drew 10 starters led by Spicy Guacamole, a back-to-back winner with a strong record of 16 top-three finishes in 25 races, including 14 of 17 starts on Tapeta. Bad Gal Partey made a victorious return after nearly a year off, winning on January 9 at the same venue.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is only awarded if one unique ticket correctly selects all six winners. On days without a unique winner, 70% of that day’s pool goes to the ticket holder with the highest winnings, while 30% rolls over into the jackpot.
Starting Thursday, Gulfstream will also offer daily Tropical Turf Pick 3 betting, previously available only from Friday to Sunday. This $3 wager with a 15% takeout covers the last three turf races of each card, or transfers to the all-weather Tapeta surface in case of non-turf races. Thursday’s Pick 3 includes Races 5, 7, and the Race 10 finale—a 1 1/16 mile turf race for four-year-olds and up. Bay of Bengal, who was unseated in the opener, returns to turf wearing blinkers, competing under trainer Carlos David after waiving a $35,000 claim.
As the championship winds down with 28 days left, Irad Ortiz Jr. is poised for a fourth straight riding title, holding seven titles since 2018-2019. He leads with 66 wins from 234 mounts and ranks second in earnings with $3,051,703. Tyler Gaffalione leads in mounts (269) and purse earnings ($3,882,841) after guiding Skippy Longstocking to a huge upset win in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup on January 24.
In the trainer standings, Safi Joseph Jr. is chasing a fourth consecutive championship, narrowly leading Carlos David 27 to 25 wins. Hall of Famers Mark Casse and Brian Lynch remain close behind with 22 and 21 wins, respectively. Joseph trains Pegasus World Cup winner Skippy Longstocking and runner-up White Avario, with earnings surpassing $3.6 million. Lynch boasts eight stakes victories—the most of any trainer in this meet—with earnings just above $1.2 million, followed by Casse at $1.01 million.
Owners Arrindell and Live Oak Plantation share the lead with six wins apiece, while Daniel Alonso of Skippylongstocking pocketed the top prize of $1,778,520.
This report was originally published by Paulick Report on February 11, 2026, within the Horseplayer section.
Fan Take: This update highlights the thrilling momentum building at Gulfstream Park, showcasing emerging stars and seasoned champions alike. For horse racing enthusiasts, these developments not only offer exciting wagering opportunities but also forecast fierce competition that could shape the sport’s future profile and fan engagement.
