Patrick Biancone’s eventful week reached a high note on Friday at Gulfstream Park as he marked a winning return to Florida just 48 hours after his charge Lennilu ran at Royal Ascot. The seasoned trainer, who guided Lennilu to a credible third-place finish in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes overseas, was back in action stateside, watching Layabout notch a commanding victory in the featured seventh race.
Layabout, sent off at $10.80 odds, turned in a composed performance in the mile-long optional claiming allowance for three-year-olds on turf. The son of Laoban outpaced the favored Win With Faith by 1 ¼ lengths, signaling his readiness to progress further under Biancone’s care. Since transitioning to his new stable at Palm Meadows, Layabout has flourished—this win marking his second straight success.
There was little evidence of fatigue in Biancone’s demeanor after his transatlantic travel. He was upbeat about Lennilu’s Royal Ascot run, noting that the two-year-old filly came through the race well. The daughter of Leinster had earned her ticket to England with a strong win in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream in May. After her latest test on the global stage, she’ll now return to the U.S. and take a short break before plans are made for the latter part of the season.
For Layabout, the switch to new surfaces and surroundings has been the turning point. Winless in his first three dirt starts over shorter distances, the gelding found his footing on Tapeta in May with a maiden win, and he has only looked sharper since switching to turf. His latest win came with Jonathan Ocasio aboard, the same jockey who guided him to that maiden score, suggesting a strong partnership is forming.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Gulfstream Park is gearing up for another exciting day with the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool climbing to an estimated $100,000. After Sunday’s mandatory payout produced multiple five-figure dividends, no single ticket has yet claimed the jackpot over the past two cards.
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 will span Races 6 through 11, with a turf duel between Rotterdam and Dear Dad in Race 8 drawing significant attention. Rotterdam, trained by Jose D’Angelo, returns to familiar ground after showing promise at Keeneland and Churchill Downs. On the other side, Mark Casse’s Dear Dad is aiming to return to winning form after consistently hitting the board in recent starts without sealing the deal.
The Rainbow 6 remains a crowd favorite due to its high-stakes payout structure. A full jackpot payout occurs only when one unique ticket lands all six winners. Otherwise, 70 percent of the daily pool goes to tickets with the most winners, while the remaining 30 percent rolls over, adding fuel to the jackpot fire.
With Biancone’s winning momentum and the Rainbow 6’s growing prize, Gulfstream Park offers another weekend of compelling storylines, competitive fields, and the ever-present chance for bettors to cash big.
