The following was submitted by Nick Hahn of The Racing Biz.
Virginia-bred female turf sprinter Rapid Rhythm takes her first try in graded stakes company in Thursday’s $250,000 Intercontinental Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park, part of massive weekend of stakes races.
Bred by Lazy Lane farm in Upperville, VA, the five-year-old mare has won 8 of her 20 lifetime starts largely on the turf. After winning the $60,000 Oakley Stakes at Laurel Park last September, Rapid Rhythm won two stakes races at the Fairgrounds over the winter. A poor start in Keeneland’s $100,000 Giant’s Causeway led to a setback in April, though she closed late.
Rapid Rhythm, bred by the Lazy Lane Farms, LLC, won the Oakley Stakes at Laurel last fall, which kicked off her current three race win streak. Photo by Jim McCue.
Rapid Rhythm was 2016 Virginia-Bred Female Champion Turf Sprinter and is by Successful Appeal out of the mare Patriot Miss by Quiet American. Michael Stidham trains the 2016 Virginia-bred Female Turf Sprinter for owner Robert S. Evans and will saddle for returning jockey James Graham.
The morning line for seven-furlong turf sprint that signed 11 to the starting gate lists Rapid Rhythm as 20-1 in the Intercontinental, one of three stakes races on the Thursday’s card.