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One lucky bettor solved the 20-cent Rainbow 6 for a $479,801.24 jackpot payout after Sky of Gold, owned and trained by William Earl Atkins, held off fellow Maryland-bred Luv Ya Bye Bye Thursday at historic Pimlico Race Course.
Sky of Gold ($23.40), a 3-year-old gelded son of Fast Anna sent off at 10-1, and Luv Ya Bye Bye (25-1) were the only two horses live to take down the jackpot heading into Thursday’s eighth-race finale, a six-furlong claimer for maidens age 3, 4 and 5. Frightland, the 1-5 betting favorite, finished third but was placed second following the disqualification of Luv Ya Bye Bye for interference.
The winning combination was 1-5-5-8-6-1. Other winners in the sequence were Vinegar Veggies ($9.80) in Race 3, My Super Sally ($25) in Race 4, Swayin to and Fro ($10.20) in Race 5, Golden Can ($4.40) in Race 6 and Hagler ($9.20) in Race 7.
The Rainbow 6 had gone unsolved for seven consecutive racing days following a mandatory $569.70 payout May 8 on closing day of Laurel Park’s spring meet. A total of $58,722 was put into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $432,827.32 from the previous live program on Preakness Day May 21, when Early Voting captured the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.
Introduced in Maryland April 2, 2015 on opening day of Pimlico’s spring meet, the Rainbow 6 carryover was the largest in Maryland since it reached a state-record $1,435,080.75 over 27 consecutive racing programs before a mandatory payout of $31,028.08 to multiple ticketholders July 4, 2021.
The Rainbow 6 jackpot is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 60 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 40 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.
There will be a mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6, Late Pick 5 and Super Hi-5 wagers on a special Memorial Day holiday program Monday, May 30 to close the 12-day Preakness Meet before live racing shifts to Laurel Park for it summer stand starting June 3.
The Rainbow 6 begins anew Friday with an eight-race program starting at 12:40 p.m. The sequence spans Races 3-8 and includes a maiden special weight for fillies and mares age 3, 4 and 5 at a mile on the grass in Race 3; an entry-level allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses also scheduled for the grass in Race 6; and an optional claiming allowance in Race 7 where Little Bit of That goes for her third straight victory.
Notes: Friday’s card will have a $1 Super Hi-5 carryover of $2,129.82 in Race 1 … Hall Stables’ 3-year-old Violence filly Vinegar Veggies ($9.80) split horses in deep stretch and surged late under five-pound apprentice Jean Alvelo to win Race 3 Thursday, a five-furlong maiden special weight on the turf, in 58.44 seconds over a firm course for trainer Kelly Rubley … Preakness Meet-leading rider Jevian Toledo notched back-to-back wins Thursday aboard Golden Can ($4.40) in Race 6 and Hagler ($9.20) in Race 7 … Seven-pound apprentice Jeiron Barbosa also doubled with Cupid’s Strike ($14.20) in Race 1 and Swayin to and Fro ($10.20) in Race 6.
