Rapid Redux pushes streak to 18 wins

Published Oct. 14, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Rapid Redux led throughout the race to post his 18th straight victory Friday night and move within one of the modern US record for consecutive victories.

Rapid Redux, a 5-year-old gelding, notched No. 18 in a $5,000 starter allowance race at Charles Town Races in Charlestown, W.Va. Since 1900, only two US horses, Zenyatta and Peppers Pride, have won 19 in a row.

Rapid Redux has gone 16 for 16 in 2011 after winning his final two races of 2010. He has competed in the low-level starter allowance races, primarily at second- and third-tier racetracks. That's a far cry from Zenyatta, who won her 19 straight from 2007-10 at the highest levels of American racing. Peppers Pride won 19 straight from 2005-08 while racing exclusively in New Mexico against state-bred restricted competition.

On Friday, Rapid Redux was pushed on the early pace by Working Man Blues. After winning that battle for the lead, Rapid Redux then was challenged by Smiling Jordan, who rallied within a half-length with five-sixteenths of a mile remaining. Jockey J.D. Acosta then pushed Rapid Redux, who responded by pulling away in the stretch to defeat Smiling Jordan by 4-3/4 lengths.

Working Man Blues held on for third in the field of six. Rapid Redux, the 2-5 favorite, returned $2.80 for a win bet. The time for 1-1/8 miles was 1 minute, 51.94 seconds.

"It’s exciting,” owner Robert Cole told The Daily Racing Form. "We’re very happy. We’re looking in the (condition) books and will take a look up and down the East Coast and see what’s out there for him. We’re going to try as hard as we can to make history, but we’ll need some good luck."

Cole claimed Rapid Redux for $6,250 on Oct. 13 last year at Penn National. The gelding's last loss was Nov. 8 in a starter allowance race at Penn National. Rapid Redux has won at seven racetracks during the streak.

Five US horses are reported to have won more than 19 straight races before 1900.

In Puerto Rico, Camarero won 56 straight from 1953-55. Hungarian-bred Kincsem went 54 for 54 in her career from 1876-79 while racing against top competition throughout Europe.