Timonium: Rapid Redux records 16th consecutive victory

Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club

Rapid Redux improves to 14 for 14 in 2011 with his 16th consecutive win since last December in a starter allowance route Sunday at Timonium.

Rapid Redux, a 5-year-old gelding based at Penn National Race Course with trainer David Wells, extended his winning streak to 16 races Sunday by taking the eighth race at Timonium.

In winning for the 14th time this season and 16th time since his streak began last December at his home track, Rapid Redux joined all-time greats Citation and Cigar as Thoroughbreds who have won 16 in a row. The mares Zenyatta and Pepper’s Pride share the North American record of 19 straight.

Sunday’s race, a $5,000 starter allowance at 1 1/16 miles, turned into an easy 6 1/2-length win for Rapid Redux ($2.40) and jockey J.D. Acosta.

Racing almost exclusively in $5,000 starter allowances, Rapid Redux has competed at Penn National, Laurel, Charles Town, Parx, Mountaineer, Thistledown, and now Timonium during his streak.

“He waits on horses and I was getting really nervous,” said Wells, who claimed Rapid Redux on behalf of Robert Cole Jr. for $6,250 last October at Penn National. . “And just as quickly he seems to find another gear.  He’s got starter eligibility for another three months and we’re going to use that to our best advantage.”

“I did grow up around here, so doing it at Timonium means a lot more,” said Rapid Redux’s owner, mortgage banker Cole. “It’s hard to get these $5,000 starters to go, so from here we’ll take it wherever we can find one.”