The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form
and the National Turf Writers And Broadcasters on Wednesday announced that Rapid
Redux, a winner of 19 consecutive races in 2011, will be honored with the
Special Eclipse Award.
The Special Award honors extraordinary service, individual achievements in,
or contributions to the sport of Thoroughbred racing.
Robert L. Cole Jr., of Baltimore, owner of Rapid Redux, will accept the
Special Award on January 16 at the 41st annual Eclipse Awards, presented by
Daily Racing Form and the Breeders’ Cup. The Eclipse Awards will be held at
the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California.
A chestnut gelding trained by David Wells, Rapid Redux, was a perfect
19-for-19 as a five-year-old in 2011, competing in starter allowance races in
the Mid-Atlantic region. This mark equaled Citation’s U.S. record of 19 wins in
a calendar year. Counting the gelding’s two wins to close out 2010, Rapid Redux
also broke the modern record for consecutive wins by a U.S -based runner
previously held by both Zenyatta and Peppers Pride, who registered 19 straight
victories.
Cole claimed Rapid Redux for $6,250 in October of 2010. During his streak
which began on December 2, 2010, Rapid Redux, a son of Pleasantly Perfect, raced
at seven different tracks and won at distances from five furlongs to 1 1/8
miles.
“It’s a top award in this sport and a dream come true,” said Cole, who grew
up in Towson, Maryland. “Rapid Redux has shown the greatest in durability and
consistency. He hasn’t thrown in a bad race. To win like this over a 13-month
period is nearly impossible. He’s Maryland home-grown running in Maryland. We
wanted him to stay close to home as he relates so well to the average fan. It’s
not like going to the sales and paying a million dollars. He’s a blue-collar
horse.”
“The achievements of Rapid Redux in 2011 were remarkable,” said Alex Waldrop,
President and CEO of the NTRA. “Winning 21 consecutive races including 19 of
them in a single year — at distances ranging from five furlongs to a mile and
an eighth — is something we won’t soon again see. We congratulate Robert Cole,
trainer David Wells and the jockeys who rode Rapid Redux for all they did to
help Rapid Redux earn this Special Award.”