Game Changers: Meet Rapid Test

Once a week, from January to April, Woodbine will profile a horse who had a life-changing impact on one of their closest connections in 2024. This week, exercise rider Misael (Danny) Hernandez and stakes winner Rapid Test.

Hernandez, who joined Catherine Day Phillips’ stable in 2020, is feeling right at home working in the barn of the multiple graded stakes winning conditioner.

“I was working in Florida, and I met Catherine there, in Ocala,” recalled Hernandez. “Someone recommended me to Catherine, and I liked her right away. I was galloping horses in Florida and then I had this great opportunity to work in Canada.

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“My first day at Woodbine, I saw the big racetrack and all the horses galloping. I was nervous because it was very new to me. Catherine took the time to teach me about everything. I am so glad, and I always say thank you to her. She is a great trainer and a great person.”

Rapid Test (ON) Bio

Foaled: March 27, 2020
Sire: Souper Speedy
Dam: Arch Tigress
Purchased: $22,000 (CDN) at the 2021 CTHS Ont. Canadian Premier Yearling Sale
Starts: 15
Wins-Seconds-Thirds: 4-2-0
Earnings: $233,006 (U.S.)
Notable races: Won debut on May 13, 2023. Won consecutive races in August 2023, including the Elgin Stakes on August 27. Runner-up in the 2023 Lake Ontario Stakes
Trainer: Catherine Day Phillips
Owner: Kingfield Racing Stable Ltd. and Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds
Groom: Kevin Pena Salgado
Breeders: Joey Gee Thoroughbreds

What were your first impressions of Rapid Test?

“All the horses are amazing to me because I love them. Some horses are special, and this one is very special to me. When he came to Catherine’s barn, she put me on the set list to be his exercise rider. When I got him, he was so quiet, and you could tell that he was a gentleman. I think we had a connection right from the start.”

What is it like to work him?

“This horse has taught me a lot. I have breezed him at different distances and he is amazing every time. He is a very good horse, and he is a very fast horse. I had never worked a horse like him in my life. He is also very intelligent, so he is able to do everything. Whenever he is out there, he is so focused. He is naturally fast, and he likes to go out to work early in the morning.”

How do you feel when you watch him race?

“When he ran the first time, I was so nervous. Catherine asked me if I was nervous and I said, ‘No… I am excited.’ I guess you could say I was both nervous and excited. I went to the paddock and watched Catherine get the horse ready, and it was amazing to see him getting ready for his first race.

“The horse ran very well, and he won. Before the race, I said to myself, ‘It’s great if you win, but I just want you to come out of it good.’”

What are the three best words to describe Rapid Test?

“Fast. Smart. Quiet.”

How has he changed your life?

“He makes me happy. When I come in, I say, ‘Hi, buddy. How are you? Are you ready for today?’” He is a horse that reminds me what makes this sport so special, that we have a bond with these beautiful horses that is wonderful. If you are having a bad day, horses can always make you feel better. I am grateful to have Rapid Test in my life. I always call him, ‘Champion.’ That’s what he is to me.”