Rapid Redux
 

17 in a row at the Meadow.

By the way -- sweet graphic TVG ... I never realized Hallowed Dreams won her first 13 races in Puerto Rico. I think that star was supposed to go next to Mister Frisky's name.

RR getting ready to make it 18 at CT in the 8th. Post time in 14 minutes.

Good luck boy.

Thanks for the heads up. Interesting to see another horse in there taking some money too.

Rapid Redux wins number 18. :tro:

That was actually pretty funny to watch. Xavier Perez was working the living sh*t out of Smiling Jordan while Acosta is just sitting there on Rapid Redux while he pulls away.:tro:

Wow...didn't realize they didn't have show betting in the race. Don't see that real often in a 6 horse field.

He's tough on that bullring. That's where his best form is.

They pay a $2.20 show minimum in W Va.

Canceling show betting in situations like this has become a very recent thing there. Some of the most gimmie bridgejumps I've ever seen happened there. Two horse entries in W VA bred stakes races where both horses towered over the field.

He looked very strong and fit coming back to the winners circle. The race didn't seem to take much out of him.

I hope he goes on to win 20. Can you imagine the threads of arguments that would start?:zz:

OY
:tro:

Smart move by them. Sucks for the better that likes that kind of action, but hard to blame CT for not wanting to create a negative pool.

If he wins his next, Peppers Pride and Zenyatta should be forced out of retirement for a 3 horse race to settle the argument of greatest horse ever.

How important was that QH race that TVG had to air it live on a split screen? :rolleyes:

The 2nd at Los Al was a Maiden Claimer going 300 yards with a $6,700 purse.

How can you blame TVG for refusing to cut away from an epic race like that? In fact, TVG muted the sound of the CT feed for Eddie B's call of the quarter horse race.

If he wins 20, would that make him Horse of the Year?

Yes. According to the backstretch and regulars at Charles Town and Penn. ;)

only if he has fans coming to the races with posters, hats and tee's.

Tvg must have some contract with Los al that requires them to feature that track, and it drives me nuts. Last Friday they showed the post parade at Los al with 9 MTP instead of a stakes race at Remington.

You're correct. They also have similar deals with quite a few other tracks. Woodbine & Keeneland for example also take priority over NYRA tracks if post times are identical.

TODAY AT LAUREL...Race 6....

Acosta almost got himself caught - don't have the pp's but he was life and death...nothing like a 1-5 should have won - 21 in a row though, can't take that away

Rapid Redux just went all the way on the lead for his 21st win in a row.

19th win on the season.

He is now tied with Citation and Roseben for the media's fictional record for wins in a season.

:tro::$::tro::$: So great..

This is driving me completely insane. . . plan on writing a scathing blog in the next few days.

Does this mean we can't compare Tim Tebow to him anymore?

Rapid Redux and Roseben (pre Donald Macdonald) have appeared together in 110 articles today according to a Google News search.

Fence Bored at Pace Advantage acutally put the date with the Daily Racing Form Result chart index number for each race of Donald Macdonald's where a result chart was available on the DRF Archive. Pretty cool stuff. He twice won on two days rest that year.

Blog it up brother. It feels silly to celebrate records that are not even real.

84 Beyer for Rapid Redux.

That is right about winning par for an open 16K 3yo and up claiming race on dirt at a major circuit.

In other words -- his performance at LRL today wins an open 16K older male claiming race on dirt at a major circuit about 50% of the time on avg.

Rapid Redux is going to lose his best friend on Dec 31st ... the 5K starter alw conditon -- which lasts for two calender years almost everywhere (except Presque Isle Downs where they run non-time restricted 5K starters)

Forgive me, but having only seen his name in writing, never spoken out loud, can you do a phonetic spelling of Roseben for me? I know what I've been saying in my head, but it occurred to me that might not be right. I doubt I'll be saying it out loud that often, but just in case, I'd like to say it properly.

Because I have nothing better to do at the moment I'll say rozbin. This is how I've heard others pronounce it.

but if you said it wrong, would anyone you were talking to know? :D

It's not likely that he'll race after that, is it? It sounded like they're hesitating to run him again this year, but even if they do, that he'd be retired at year end.

They were saying once they get this record stuff out of the way that they would try him on grass like that would matter any but still.

There is also the matter at Charles Town they are looking into by connections paying off contenders in a race not to run

Think I let a little bit too much time elapse before writing this--kind of ran out of steam--but: http://thetdnblog.blogspot.com/2011/...d-records.html

One of the things I liked about your piece was that it did give a nod to him. It wasn't mean spirited or anything. You made your points and made them well.

It would have been easy to turn negative on the whole thing.

You did keep it all in perspective and you were very fair.

Nice job.

my fav part of blog "But seemingly serious calls for Rapid Redux to be named Horse of the Year or to receive a special Eclipse Award are extremely misguided and overzealous."

Someone should of said that to the people who voted Zenyatta over Blame for HOY last year

Excellent piece, Brian :tro:

Thanks everybody

very well done!

i had noticed that articles had changed to 'will tie citation' rather than talking about a record.

Was meaning to upload it after his last race... but here is the stretch run video of all of Rapid Redux's now 21-straight wins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3jW9WqCiAY

Ability-wise ... he's a solid open 16K to open 25K claimer. In the 3-turn bullring routes (especially at Charles Town) his Beyer numbers are good enough to compete with minor open stakes caliber horses.

Still -- he's one gutsy horse who refuses to settle for 2nd in races where he has a right to get edged out. Race #8 on the streak was the best example of his charachter when a bug rider got him in a duel out of the gate and he went WAY too fast for the first quarter mile of a two-turn route.

Hard to like anything at all about his owner and trainer connections in general -- and they did weasel some scratches late in the streak -- but this is as good and solid a nickle starter router as I've seen in the Mid-Atlantic for basically as far back as I can remember.

Good stuff Doug, thanks for posting it.