Horse Racing
Marcus Hersh 12y

Rapid Redux a go for Laurel run

Horse Racing

Rapid Redux was en route from trainer David Well's home base in Pennsylvania to Laurel Park in Maryland on Wednesday morning, his injured hoof healed enough for him to participate in Laurel's sixth race, in which he'll be heavily favored to win for the 22nd time in a row.

Rapid Redux's ability to start Wednesday was thrown into question Tuesday when trainer David Wells let it be known that the horse recently had stepped on himself, causing a cut on his right front foot. The affected area was small, Wells said, and more tender than seriously sore. The removal of Rapid Redux's glue-on shoes hadn't provided any relief, Wells told Laurel Park representatives Tuesday, and all he could do was hope Rapid Redux healed enough to warrant a start the next day.

And that, evidently, was the case.

"He's on the way," owner Robert Cole said at about 9:30 a.m. Eastern. "They said he jogged around a little bit today, and he's perfect. We're in, and we're looking forward to it."

Rapid Redux set a modern-day continental United States record for consecutive victories when he won for the 20th time in a row last fall. His 19th victory of 2011, in December at Laurel, equaled Citation's modern-day continental U.S. record for wins in a calendar year, but Rapid Redux's connections could find no suitable spot for the horse to start a 20th time last year. Instead, he goes in a $5,000 starter-allowance race at Laurel on Wednesday afternoon, with seven other horses entered in the one-turn mile.

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