Sisterston-Trained Colt First Winner for Stallion Charlatan
Trainer Beau Chapman Saddles First Winner Friday at Gulfstream
Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $350,000
Mandatory Rainbow 6 Payout Set for Sunday’s Program

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL — MHM Stables LLC and John Oxley’s Copernium looked very much like a wise purchase while scoring a 2 1/4-length debut victory to kick off Friday’s program at Gulfstream Park.

Purchased for $375,000 at the OBS March 2-year-olds-in-training sale, the Jack Sisterson-trained colt provided sire Charlatan with his first winner from his first crop of offspring.

Copernium was pinched back at the start of the maiden special weight before recovering to take the lead entering the far turn and continuing on to register a clear victory under Edwin Gonzalez in the 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight dash.

“He’s massive. He shouldn’t have gone 4 1/2, but he’s very forward,” Sisterson said. “He came from the sales very forward. We started galloping him a mile, then a mile and a quarter, then a mile and a half. We galloped this horse two miles every day. You can’t get to the bottom of him.”

Copernium, the 3-2 second choice, ran the 4 1/2-furlong distance in 55.58 seconds. Bowie, who was sent away as the 4-5 favorite, closed to finish second, four lengths clear of California Kiss.

“The time wasn’t fast. We’ll have to evaluate what to do,” Sisterson said. “Look at the size of him. He trains like a horse that will get two turns.”

Charlatan, who was trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, won his first four races, including victories in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and 2020 Malibu (G1), before concluding his career with a second-place finish in the 2021 Saudi Cup.

Trainer Beau Chapman Saddles First Winner Friday at Gulfstream

Be Thankful ($9) provided trainer Beau Chapman with his first career winner Friday at Gulfstream Park while winning the first race of her career in Race 5, a five-furlong maiden special weight event on Tapeta.

Be Thankful was the fifth starter for Chapman, whose first four starters had finished second three times and third once.

“It feels good. All the starters I’ve had ran well with a little bit of tough trips. But at the end of the day, they’re performing,” said Chapman, a product of the North American Racing Academy’s horseman program in Lexington, KY. “I thank the owners for the opportunity, and hopefully in the upcoming years, I can grow my stable and meet some new people.”

Chapman, who has a stable of six currently, is a former assistant trainer to Saffie Joseph Jr.

“Saffie was a huge benefit to work for. It just goes to show with how well his horses do for him that he knows what he’s doing,” he said.’I was very fortunate to work for him,” he said. “My first job was with Dallas Stewart, and I learned a lot from him.”

Be Thankful, a 3-year-old daughter of Promises Fulfilled, broke on top under Miguel Vasquez and was never threatened thereafter on her way to a 3 1/2-length victory in a field of eight Florida-bred fillies and mares in 56.66 seconds.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $350,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $350,000 Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the popular mule-race wager went unsolved for the 10th consecutive racing day.

A mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is set for Sunday’s program. Should the Rainbow 6 go unsolved Saturday, the jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $3 million.

In the Rainbow 6, the carryover pool is only 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 usually goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool. On Mandatory days, the entire jackpot pool will be disbursed to the bettor or bettors with tickets including the most winners.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 6-11, including the $80,000 Honey Ryder, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, in Race 7 and the $80,000 English Channel, a mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds, in Race 11.