Racing resumes on Thursday at Gulfstream Park with a 10 race program that features a $397K carryover in the Rainbow 6 and the return of jockey Jose Ortiz, who accepts his first mount since Dec. 3 and first since recuperating from minor knee surgery earlier this month. The main track is fast, turf firm and the weather picture perfect once again with temperatures in the mid to high 70's.

The Rainbow 6 begins in the 5th race, a sequence which includes four turf races topped by the $60,000 main event to be decided at five furlongs under first level allowance and optional claiming conditions.  

Ortiz has picked up the mount on Shar Ran for trainer Michael Tomlinson in the opener.

“I didn’t need to do any rehab, just the bicycle. It was very minor, the clean-up that I had,” Ortiz said referring to his surgery. “The doctor told me, ‘Just rest and do bicycle and you’ll be ready to go.’ I’ve been cleared [to ride] for over a week. I was cleared Dec. 14, but I wanted to wait until I was 100 percent, and now I’m 100 percent.” 

Ortiz, a leading Eclipse Award candidate, will ride here throughout the winter and gets back to a full work load on Saturday when named on seven mounts, five of those ini stakes races. He enters the final weekend of the year with 13 Grade 1 wins, his two most noteworthy victories aboard Tapwrit in the Belmont and Good Magic in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and more than $27 million in purse earnings. 

Scratches:

8th Express Jet

10th All Hands on Deck