Rapid Redux goes for #13!

Tonight, in the seventh race at Penn National, the five-year-old gelding Rapid Redux will attempt to extend his amazing winning streak to thirteen consecutive victories.

10-for-10 this year alone, Rapid Redux has been dominating his opponents liks few horses can. He has won his last four races by an average of nearly 7 1/2 lengths. The comments on the Equibase results charts for those same four races have read "won geared down,easily", "sharp pace,much best", "rail, ridden out", and "pace 2path, handily".

Tonight's race is a one-mile and seventy yards starter allowance race. Eight horses, including Rapid Redux, where entered, but three scratches have left the field with only five runners. Here are the entries:

Post Position	Horse	Morning Line Odds
1	Darrell Van Horne	Scratched
2	Rascal Cat	20-1
3	No Brakes	6-1
4	Jake's Mission	Scratched
5	Grinnell	8-1
6	Rapid Redux	4-5
7	Gotta Believe Me	Scratched
8	Miles Heir	6-1

Rapid Redux is not facing much. Rascal Cat and No Brakes ran eighth and ninth, respectively, in their last races. Grinnell is entering off of a win, but it was in a $10,000 claiming race at six furlongs. Miles Heir probably has the best chance at upsetting Rapid Redux, seeing that he won a mile and a sixteenth starter allowance race last time out, but I don't think that he is good enough to defeat Rapid Redux.

Should Rapid Redux win tonight, it will move him one victory closer to breaking the modern-day record for consecutive victories in North America, held by the mares Zenyatta and Pepper's Pride, each of whom won nineteen straight races. As long as Rapid Redux stays in form, I believe that he is capable of doing it.

Go Rapid Redux!

-Keelerman

Garden Dancer entered to race! (Again!)

Garden Dancer was entered to race last week in the 8th race at River Downs. But after running the first seven races, the weather got so bad the track canceled the final race. Thus, Garden Dancer did not get to compete.

However, he has been re-entered against many of the same horses today at River Downs. In the fourth race on the card, Garden Dancer will head to post against five others going 5-1/2 furlongs on dirt in a $4,000 claiming race.

Here are the entries:

Post Position/Horse/Morning Line Odds
1 Quick American 9-2
2 Gold Album 2-1
3 Housebuilder 7-2
4 Cucina Nick (Scratched)
5 Garden Dancer 3-1
6 Kate's Trooper 20-1
7 Voodoo Gold 12-1

All of the seven horses entered are geldings, and all six years of age or older. Amazingly, Quick American is still a competive claimer, even at the advanced age of 11!

-Keelerman

Garden Dancer entered to race!

Garden Dancer, the tough-as-nails nine-year-old gelding who can still compete successfully in claiming races, is entered to race later this afternoon in the 8th race at River Downs.

The event is a 5-1/2 furlong $4,000 claiming race. Here are the entries:

Post Position	Horse	A/S	Morning Line Odds
1	Cucina Nick	8/G	8-1
2	Dynomightrunaway	7/G	15-1
3	Kate's Trooper	6/G	10-1
4	Garden Dancer	9/G	4-1
5	Quick American	11/G	5-2
6	Gold Album	7/G	2-1
7	Iain'tmadatcha	6/G	6-1

As you can see, Garden Dancer is among the favorites. He has been very busy this year, having already raced nine times with three victories to his credit. He is most effective coming from off the pace, so quick fractions up front would greatly increase his chances of victory.

Quick American, the 5-2 morning line favorite, is definitely the horse to beat. He has been very consistent as of late, never turning in a poor performance and always finishing right in the mix of things. Interestingly, he has confronted Garden Dancer on four occasions this year -- and finished ahead of 'Dancer in all of them.

Also interesting is the fact that four of the seven horses in this field are emerging from the same race, the 2nd at River Downs on May 26th, a 5-1/2 furlong $4,000 claiming event just like today's race. The results were:

Finishing Position/Horse/Margin over next horse
1 Del Mar Storm (2 lengths)
2 Gold Album (nose)
3 Quick American (2 1/4 lengths)
4 Garden Dancer (8 3/4 lengths)
5 Cucina Nick (3 1/4 lengths)
6 Rhode to Silence

So basically, Garden Dancer is going to have to improve 2 1/4 lengths -- or Gold Album and Quick American regress 2 1/4 lengths -- in order for Garden Dancer to win. Can he do it? I'll be cheering him on!

-Keelerman