Rapid Redux honored with Secretariat 'Vox Populi' Award

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - Record setting thoroughbred Rapid Redux has again been honored for his win streak. The six-year-old gelding has won a record 22 consecutive starts, including a perfect mark of 19 last year.

One day after winning his 22nd straight race and being recognized witb the Special Eclipse Award, Rapd Redux has been named the recipient of the 2011 Secretariat 'Vox Populi,' or "Voice of the People," Award. The award is given to a horse "whose popularity and racing excellence best resounded with the American public and gained recognition for thoroughbred racing."

"The goal of thoroughbred horse racing is to win races," said Penny Chenery. who established the award last year. "In each race, no matter what amount of money the winner receives, what the distance of the race or the surface it is run on, one horse wins. And that's what we are all trying to do with our stable - win races so that feed bills can be paid and the costs of keeping the endeavor afloat can continue. Thousands of races are staged in America every year for every level of competition and thousands of horses win them, but rarely the same horse. So for one horse to beat his field 19 times in one year is flat out phenomenal. For that we honor Rapid Redux today."

Mrs. Chenery owned and raced 1973 Triple Crown winner and two-time Horse of the Year Secretariat.

"We also honor his people who put him in a position to win each time," Mrs. Chenery continued, "a rare and valuable skill. Rapid Redux and his team are a rare blend of ability and prudence. They never ran him over his head and he never failed to pull it off. Well done to all!"

Rapid Redux is owned by Robert Cole and trained by David Wells. The gelding, who is ridden by J. D. Acosta, won as the 3-10 favorite on December 13 for his 19th win in 2011, matching the modern mark for a single year held by Citation and early 20th-century horse Roseben. Citation equaled Roseben's record in 1948, the same year he won the Triple Crown.

Rapid Redux received 39 percent of the online votes, easily outdistancing Goldikova, Havre de Grace and Uncle Mo. His owner and trainer will receive the trophy at Santa Anita Park on January 15 a day before the Eclipse Awards ceremony.

Zenyatta received the first Secretariat 'Vox Populi' Award in 2010.