The Exciting Potential Saga of Rapid Redux

Have you ever heard of Rapid Redux?

If you have a really good memory, you might have. The five-year-old gelded son of Pleasantly Perfect competed in the 2009 Longbranch Stakes, finishing last behind stablemate Atomic Rain. As of late, he has been competing in claiming and starter allowance races.

Why am I discussing him here on this blog? Well, next year, he will be eligible to become a member of our Veterans of the Turf Club. And if he’s still racing then, he most certainly will become one. But I am discussing him here because of the impressive winning streak that he has been silently compiling without anyone really noticing.

This year, Rapid Redux has made seven starts.

He has won all seven.

Add his two victories in December 2010, and one realizes that Rapid Redux has won nine straight races.

Yes, nine.

His winning margins have ranged from a desperate nose to 8 ½ lengths. His average winning margin is nearly four lengths.

On April 25th, Rapid Redux is entered to race in a nine-furlong starter allowance race at Penn National. He has drawn the far outside in a field of seven and is the morning line favorite at even-money. He is expected to win with ease.

Perhaps this is thinking a bit far into the future . . . but then again, maybe not. Suppose that Rapid Redux wins the race. That would bring the chestnut gelding’s winning streak to ten. Then suppose that he keeps winning – and winning, and winning, and winning. He has been so dominant recently that it’s certainly possible.

Suppose that he wins sixteen, seventeen, or even eighteen races in a row. All of a sudden, he would be on the verge of equaling the modern-day winning streak of nineteen consecutive victories set by Pepper’s Pride in 2008 and equaled by the immortal Zenyatta in October 2010. And suppose for a moment that Rapid Redux wins his nineteenth straight race, and then his twentieth. Then he would stand alone in modern American racing history; his name at the top of the “Longest Winning Streak” column in the history books.

Perhaps it’s just a dream . . . but he’s already nine races there. One more is expected to come his way on Monday. That would put him halfway there . . . and that’s a whole lot farther than most horses ever get.

So let us follow the career of Rapid Redux with interest over the next year or so as he attempts to extend his winning streak to historic length. Even though he is ineligible to become a member of the VOTTC at this time, we shall follow his career on this blog anyway; although he won’t be eligible for receiving our Veterans of the Season awards. Hopefully, we will follow him into the history books.

-Keelerman