Rapid Rhythm may get one more start on her favorite course

Had all gone according to plan, Rapid Rhythm would have been in the late stages of pregnancy last weekend. Instead, she won a division of the $50,000 Richie Scherer Memorial Stakes while retaining her perfect record over the Fair Grounds grass course.

Rapid Rhythm has won six times on the Fair Grounds grass, and she is likely to get a chance at a seventh victory Jan. 6 in the $50,000 Pan Zareta Stakes, trainer Mike Stidham said.

Following that race, Rapid Rhythm likely will be retired and bred – the opposite order of how things were supposed to go about a year ago. Last breeding season, Rapid Rhythm was sent to the breeding shed with the idea of running her while in foal, but Rapid Rhythm never got in foal. Instead, she left her beloved Fair Grounds and turned in three uninspiring tries between April and June. Stidham did the sensible thing – pulled the plug and pointed to Fair Grounds.

“Six for six, it has to be something about this course,” Stidham said. “She got down here again and started training like a monster.”

Stidham had himself a monster day Saturday. Rapid Rhythm joined Princess Lulu and Elandess as winners for the barn on the card, and One Last Shot (who also could run in the Pan Zareta) was second, beaten less than a length, in the other division of the Scherer Memorial. Elandess won a first-level turf sprint allowance, and the Stidham-trained Maluku was a close third in the same race.