Cole Has Another Goal For Rapid Redux: Most Wins In One Year
Cole Has Another Goal For Rapid Redux: Most Wins In One Year
LAUREL, MD. 11-23-11---Less than 40 hours after Rapid Redux passed Zenyatta and Peppers Pride to set the North American record for most consecutive wins, at 20 with his victory at Mountaineer Park Monday night, owner Robert Cole has set his sights on another mark for his 5-year-old. Eighteen of the 20 scores during the streak have occurred in 2011. Citation currently holds the single-season record with 19 wins in 20 starts in 1948, the year he captured the Triple Crown.
“I am just happy to be part of racing history, which goes back to George Washington. To be mentioned with some of the greatest horses of all-time like Zenyatta and Citation is something I can take to my grave,” Cole said before the first race at Laurel Park Wednesday afternoon. “The race came up a little soft, especially with all the scratches so it was kind of a breather for him. It didn’t really seem that he ran that hard.”
Rapid Redux was claimed by Cole, a Baltimore County native, at Penn National for $6,250 on October 13, 2010. Since then, the gelding has won 21 of 22 races with earnings of $246,694. The win-streak began on December 2, 2010 at Penn National. Cole and trainer David Wells have sent their star to seven different tracks, including four victories at Laurel Park, at distances from five-furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, using seven riders.
“I grew up reading the Racing Form at the Timonium Fair and the game came naturally to me,” said Cole, a 1981 Loch Raven High School graduate. “David has done a great job training the horse, there is no question about that, but we have had good luck with spotting the horse in the right races. All in all we have managed the streak very well. I wouldn’t put him in a spot where we wouldn’t do well.”
Cole said he was “leaning” towards running the son of Pleasantly Perfect in the $50,000 Iron Horse, one of six Claiming Crown races at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans next Saturday, December 3.
“I think the best thing to do is go into the national spotlight and give him more attention,” added Cole. “The horse came out of the race in fantastic shape. The trainer would have to be comfortable with shipping to Louisiana. The medication rules are different from state-to-state. If David says the horse is ready, we are going. I looked at the nominations and wasn’t overly impressed. It’s not going to be a large field.”
Rapid Redux has faced only 94 rivals (average of 4.7 per race) during the streak but has won a race every 17.75 days.
Without a clear cut favorite for Horse of the Year honors, Rapid Redux’s name has been mentioned as a longshot candidate.
“We would be honored to get one vote,” Cole said.
Cole has never been an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding owner despite leading the nation in victories in 2008, with a career-best 234, and being ranked among the leaders in wins and earnings seven times since 2001.
