[Kasept]

Rainbow Six pool could be a record
By Mike Welsch

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - For several hours late Monday afternoon, the eyes of the racing world will be fixed upon Gulfstream Park, where a pool estimated to exceed $15 million will be distributed in the Rainbow Six.

The Rainbow Six is an offshoot of the more traditional pick six wager. But unlike the pick six, which distributes the daily jackpot to every player who selects all six winners in the sequence, the entire Rainbow Six jackpot is paid out only if there is a single ticket with the winning combination. The minimum bet is 20 cents and the takeout is less than 20 percent.

Going into this weekend, the Rainbow Six jackpot had not been hit since Jan. 10, surviving 73 consecutive programs through last Sunday, with the jackpot growing to $6,303,426. If the jackpot is not hit on Saturday or Sunday, it will be paid out on Monday.

Track management is estimating another $10-12 million could be bet on the Rainbow Six by the time the final wager is placed prior to Monday’s fifth race.

The highest pick six pool ever recorded in the U.S. was the $10,870,852 distributed at Hollywood Park on July 2, 2007, with each winning ticket worth $576,064.

The previous record Rainbow Six pool was $5.1 million, distributed on closing day of the 2011 meet. A total of $3.5 million was added to the $1.6 million carryover that afternoon. The winning combination returned $3,279. The Rainbow Six was a 10-cent wager at the time. It was upped to a minimum 20-cent bet this year. The highest single payout in the Rainbow Six was $3,591,245 on Feb. 22, 2013.

The Rainbow Six has been hit just three times during the 2013-14 championship meet, which started on Dec. 1. All three of those jackpots paid out, oddly enough, within a one-0week period from Jan. 3 through Jan. 10.