Laurel opener to feature Rapid Redux

Rapid Redux has been a fan favorite at Laurel during his 21-race win streak (Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club) Rapid Redux will go for his 22nd consecutive victory when he starts in Wednesday sixth race at Laurel, a $17,000 starter allowance. The January 4 is opening day of the 2012 Laurel winter meeting. Rapid Redux was a perfect 19-for-19 as a five-year-old in 2011, including five scores at Laurel. Rapid Redux tied Zenyatta and Peppers Pride for the most consecutive wins by a United States-based runner with his 19th straight victory here on October 27 and equaled Citation’s mark of 19 wins in a calendar year at the central Maryland track on December 13. “He is training well and coming into this race better than his last start,” owner Robert Cole said. “He has been amazingly consistent and amazingly durable and has a tremendous mindset for winning. In training he does not let the horses go by him just like in a race. He truly knows the object of the game.” Cole, a Baltimore County, Maryland, native, claimed the son of Pleasantly Perfect at Penn National for $6,250 on October 13, 2010. Since then, the gelding has won 22 of 23 races with earnings of $256,384. The win-streak began December 2, 2010 at Penn National.

Wednesday’s race, a one-mile test for horses who have started for a claiming
price of $5,000 or less in 2010 or 2011, drew nine other runners, including
multiple stakes winner Delaware River, who was claimed out of his most recent
start by trainer William Campbell.

Seventeen of the 21 victories during the streak have been in starter
allowance company.

“He cannot be treated like a normal horse and be running for a tag after he
loses the condition,” Cole added. “I found five starter allowance races east of
the Mississippi that he is eligible to run in. It is conceivable to have one or
two more starts (in starter allowance company) after this one because there are
already races written in condition books that accommodate his date. Finding
races for him the next couple months is not an issue but I don’t see him ever
running for a claiming price because I don’t want anyone else to own him. He has
done too much for us and that wouldn’t be fair to him.”

Cole and trainer David Wells have sent their star to seven different tracks
at distances from five furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, using seven riders.

J.D. Acosta, who has been aboard seven times during the streak, has the
mount.