Auckland Reactor, Horse of the Year in New Zealand in 2009, arrived in the U.S. on February 3 to prepare for a summer race schedule with nary a bump in the journey. Just one problem – he’s a bit chilly
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“He’s settling in pretty good, but he’s like me, he doesn’t have a lot of hair,” joked trainer Kelvin Harrison, a native of New Zealand now based in the States. Auckland Reactor’s native country of New Zealand, in the southern hemisphere, has seasons opposite of North America, so he now has a summer coat, not sufficient to keep him warm at Harrison’s stable at Magical Acres in central New Jersey.
“He’s feeling the cold a little bit. The first day he was a little tired, but he’s been right into it ever since. He’s feeling good.”
Harrison says the son of Mach Three, who has nearly $1 million in earnings and 25 wins, will ease slowly into a racing schedule.
“He’ll jog light for about six weeks, until the weather gets a little better. When we get some nice days, we’ll get him out in the paddock, but he’s got a real summer coat. He has two heavy blankets, plus he has a shoulder blanket, plus he has a blanket that covers his neck, so he’s well covered up.”
Harrison says the horse looks every bit the champion.
“He’s a great looking horse. He’s big and strong, well put together, stands good. Very strong-looking individual.”
To view photos of Auckland Reactor's first jog on North American soil, click here.
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.