On Wednesday, the 13-year-old Cool N Collective will try again to become what is believed to be the oldest horse ever to win a flat race on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit when he faces seven others in the fifth race at Aqueduct Racetrack.

In his first start at age 13 (January 1 is the universal birthday for all thoroughbreds) Cool N Collective finished second in a 1 1/16th mile race on January 31 at the Big A.

The veteran gelding is one of the oldest thoroughbreds to run at a NYRA track and last won at Aqueduct two years ago, at age 11. He was then claimed and taken to Suffolk Downs for most of 2009, but in the fall, was purchased privately by former owner Mike Repole and sent to trainer Bruce Brown.

Wednesday’s race, a one-mile claimer, will be Cool N Collective’s 81st lifetime start. He will break from post number 4 as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line for jockey Mike Luzzi. Overall, Cool N Collective has 15 wins, 27 seconds, and 13 thirds in his career for earnings of $679,480.

No one can remember a 13-year-old horse having won a flat race at any of NYRA’s tracks, which include Aqueduct, Belmont Park or Saratoga Race Course. According to the Thoroughbred Times, the oldest horses to win since 1976 are Behavin Jerry, who did so at age 17 in 1981 at Commodore Downs in Pennsylvania, and Golden Arrow, who won in 1978 at the Great Barrington Fair, also at age 17.

In 1979, a 16-year-old horse named Silver Fir won a race at Finger Lakes in Farmington, New York.

Cool N Collective made the very first start of his career at Aqueduct ten years ago while in the care of Reade Baker. Since then, he has raced at more than a dozen tracks, from Keeneland to Hoosier Park, the Fair Grounds to Woodbine, before being returned to his roots.

“He is doing great,” said Brown. “If you didn’t know how old he was, you would never guess. He loves training, loves going to the racetrack. Some older horses get a little sour, but he practically runs into the starting gate. Hopefully, he’ll win, and then we can retire him.”