Rapid Redux managed to repel two challenges, one early and one late, to secure his 18th consecutive victory Friday night at Charles Town.

A 5-year-old gelding who was claimed for $6,250 last fall, Rapid Redux is now one win away from tying the North American record shared by 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta and the New Mexico-bred mare Peppers Pride.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - While the bluebloods will command most of the attention in the Canadian International on Sunday at Woodbine, two horses who changed hands via the claiming box will be looking to give their connections their biggest wins to date.

Kara’s Orientation, trained by Steven Chircop and owned by Max Berketa and a five-member partnership known as Pinnacle Racing, was claimed for $20,000 in May of 2010.

Laureate Conductor, trained by Mike DePaulo and owned by the Bear Stable of Danny Dion, was claimed for $62,500 this June.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Wild About Marie had a terrific trip and put in perhaps the best performance of her 16-race career Friday in the $100,000 Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland, a potent combination that gave the 4-year-old filly a 12-1 upset amid a terrific field of filly-mare turf sprinters.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A 2-year-old filly making her first career start smashed the Polytrack record for six furlongs at Keeneland on Friday when winning by nine lengths, after which the ontrack timer said several methods of clocking the race substantiated its validity.

Applauding, owned by Ramona Bass and trained by Al Stall Jr., finished in 1:07.76 under a drive from jockey Garrett Gomez, breaking the record of 1:08.30 set in April 2007 by He Loves Me Not.

ELMONT, N.Y. − Trainer Bruce Brown is enjoying a sensational Belmont fall meet, and he hopes to have at least one more big day in next Saturday’s New York Showcase program.

Brown, who has won eight races from 29 starters at this meet, will have runners in three of the eight stakes on the card, which is devoted entirely to horses bred in New York. Brown will send out Compliance Officer in the $125,000 Mohawk Stakes, Dr. Disco in the $125,000 Hudson Stakes, and Green Monster in the $200,000 Empire Classic.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Twirling Candy will be pointed to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, with only a “10 percent” chance that he will start in the BC Classic the same day, trainer John Sadler said.

“We think that’s the best spot for him right now,” Sadler said of the Dirt Mile.

With a purse of $250,000, the Remington Park Oaks is getting noticed by horsemen around the country. The field of 10 that will line up Sunday on the Oklahoma Derby undercard includes graded-stakes-winning shippers from trainers Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, and Todd Pletcher.

Each would no doubt love to see their entrants match the success of No Such Word from a year ago. She romped by six lengths in the Remington Oaks – when it was worth $200,000 – then picked off a Grade 1 a little over a month later in the $250,000 Gazelle at Aqueduct.

Jeremy Best, an assistant starter based at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, has been selected to receive the 2011 White Horse Award from the Race Track Chaplaincy of America during a Nov. 3 luncheon at Churchill Downs. Best earned the honor for his efforts to rescue 69-year-old jockey Roy Brooks from a serious starting gate situation at Remington in April. Brooks was pinned by a Quarter Horse in an incident that can be viewed at www.youtube.com/user/remingtonpark1. Best, 36, has been an assistant starter at Remington since 2001.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Here Comes Frazier, the 2-year-old colt who suffered multiple injuries when crashing into the inner rail while on the lead in the Bourbon Stakes last Sunday on the Keeneland turf, underwent what was termed successful surgery Thursday by his attending veterinarians at the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Five races into her career, previously unbeaten Sarah’s Secret is no longer perfect. Pardon the interruption – the 4-for-5 filly had a valid excuse for the first loss of her career.

“She couldn’t breathe,” trainer Kathy Walsh said.

Sarah’s Secret won her first four starts, including the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap in June at Hollywood Park. She was poised for a big summer, but everything unraveled in the Grade 2 San Clemente on July 24 at Del Mar.