Auckland Reactor Preps For NA Debut

The near mythical status acquired by Auckland Reactor in New Zealand may become reality in the United States in the coming weeks, when the enigmatic son of Mach Three–Atomic Lass sets foot onto a racetrack in the Northern Hemisphere for the first time

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Tales of the “Reactor” are etched in New Zealand harness racing folklore. Locals have spoken in awe of a flawless and powerful gait that wakes up the echoes of Cardigan Bay; the immortal New Zealand import from decades ago. Those close to him attest of his capability to race American miles in the rarefied air of 1:46.4. From small towns and countryside tracks spanning both the North and South Islands, the Reactor’s conquests, particularly his repeated assaults at Addington in Christchurch, are all legendary.

One such effort that lends credence to the saga occurred at Ashburton. Auckland Reactor broke stride and galloped at the start, but he was able to complete an amazing and improbable comeback to remain unbeaten. Unconfirmed reports say he sprouted wings to do so.

Descending here from parts unknown to many in North America, Auckland Reactor shares the same sire of recent Canadian and American wonder Somebeachsomewhere, who holds the world record for the fastest mile in harness racing history along with Holborn Hanover. Both world champions are from the booming dual hemisphere stallion, Mach Three. More shocking, both were foaled in Mach Three’s very first worldwide crop.

An Auckland Reactor versus Somebeachsomewhere showdown might have drawn comparisons to the 1966 “Pace of the Century” at Yonkers Raceway. One of the most fabled races in history, New Zealand’s iconic Cardigan Bay stunned the consecutive three-time American Horse of the Year Bret Hanover in front of a sold out crowd of 36,556 people.

Somebeachsomewhere, however, was retired following his 1:48.3 score in the 2008 Breeders Crown. Following the Beach to greener pastures in 2009 were top pacers Mister Big, Art Official and If I Can Dream. With the mass exodus, the American Free-For-All division could be lacking a true star. Enter Auckland Reactor.

“In years gone by, I always thought the American horses were faster, but I don’t believe that anymore,” said Harrison. “From what I’ve seen down there, those horses have gotten so much better. You’ve got a bunch of Free-For-Allers down there that are just absolutely unbelievable.”

“The big question is that [Auckland Reactor] is the first legitimate Free-For-Aller that has come here from New Zealand since Young Quinn in 1975 (In 1976, Young Quinn beat Rambling Willie at Hollywood Park, and also was the first horse to pace in 1:55 at The Meadowlands). They race for unbelievable money Down Under. Monkey King, for example, has already won over $1 million this season ($2,911,590 lifetime), and then you have horses like Changeover ($2,426,765 lifetime), that have won over a couple million dollars, also. Exporting a true Free-For-All horse [to the U.S.] is not as logical anymore, because they have such a strong program for aged horses down there.”

Perhaps no one in the world has witnessed firsthand more harness races in both hemispheres and more countries than prominent Down Under bloodstock agent and Auckland Reactor syndicate manager, John Curtin. Never the one to downplay expectations, when asked what the Reactor would need to accomplish for his North American campaign to be considered a success, Curtin responded, “To be a real success in North America, he needs to break a world record. He is one of those horses that are capable of doing that because of his high speed. Down here in New Zealand, I would say an overwhelming majority of his wins resulted in records. I’ve never known a horse to break as many records as he’s broke down here, and run those times he has ran, in my lifetime. He’ll break the world record with all things being equal and given the opportunity.”

Jeremy Young, who has assisted in the training of Auckland Reactor since day one as a caretaker and friend to the horse, has made the venture to the States and will remain with the Reactor day in and day out throughout his North American campaign. Backing Curtin’s sentiments, Young said, “You can’t just accomplish what [Auckland Reactor] has accomplished in that short of a time down home, and the record speaks for itself.”

Auckland Reactor was broken and astutely trained throughout his entire Down Under career by leading New Zealand reinsman Mark Purdon. Reactor was something unique from the start. In the month of May, as a two-year-old, he was third in an “organized workout,” a run used for education.

As Purdon tells the story, “Then from there we gave him an official trial, what you would know as a qualifier. He went in 2:29 for 2,000 meters (1 ¼ miles), so he could have easily raced as a two-year-old. And that was the start of the phones starting to ring with offers, but he was never for sale at that stage.”

Auckland Reactor was not paid up for any of the big races and that was part of the reason Purdon didn’t want to push on with the horse too much at age two. The decision to be patient with the horse early would pay enormous dividends later. In fact, the “Down Under Wonder” would shatter record after record while coming out victorious in each of his first 17 starts.

After an impressive string of nine straight wins to begin his career, Auckland Reactor really began to open eyes with his performance in the $200,000 New Zealand Derby in April of 2008 at Addington. Reactor annihilated the three-year-old national record time for 2,600 meters held by Holmes DG since 1998. Reflecting back on the race Purdon said, “I didn’t even turn the stick on him, and he certainly could have gone even better.”

Following a victory three weeks later in the Southern Supremacy stakes where he was dubbed the “flying machine,” Auckland Reactor was sold to North American interests for a staggering $4 million ($3.5 million USD). Never has a harness horse sold for an amount that high, neither publicly or privately with the intent to continue racing. For reference, many thought it was outlandish when his sire Mach Three was purchased for a reported $2.2 million by Joseph Muscara in 2002. And even adjusted for inflation, the $100,000 purchase price by Stanley Dancer for Cardigan Bay in 1964 wouldn’t come close to the sale price today for Auckland Reactor.

Auckland Reactor returned to the races after a six month hiatus in the $300,000 New Zealand Free-For-All. Facing Open class competition for the first time, he demonstrated himself to be the best pacer in the nation. The Reactor raced first over against Changeover, went eye to eye with him, and was overpowering in the end, producing a national record time at Addington for 2000 meters (1 ¼ miles).

Putting Reactor’s accomplishment in perspective, Changeover is a horse that 2009 North American import Montecito N (1:49.2m, beat Mister Big) faced on six occasions throughout his New Zealand career. Five of those six times Montecito N was soundly beaten.

“Montecito is a very good horse, but is not in the same class as Auckland Reactor,” said Curtin, who formally owned Montecito N.

Nothing lasts forever though, as Auckland Reactor’s party came to a lull at Cambridge. Racing for the third time in as many weeks and looking for win number 18 in a row, he would be done in right from the start. His performance was a valiant one for the ages, but in the end he had been vanquished nonetheless.

Reactor was racing in the Jardine Bloodstock stake and assigned a 20 meter handicap from a standing start. He had shown his displeasure for the standing start in the past, and this night he wasn’t even fully turned around when the other horses began racing away. Was it a fair start? It was surely a close call. Even commentator Aaron White said on the broadcast, “Let’s see if they [stewards] think it’s game on, they do.”

By the time the Reactor finally settled on stride he was an absurd 100 meters behind the leader. He exerted enormous energy just to rejoin the field coming into the stretch for the final time, and miraculously loomed for a moment, but in the end it was simply too much to overcome.

Following the first disappointment of his career, Auckland Reactor soundly destroyed two of the nation’s best horses in Free For All competition. Then it was off to Auckland for the $600,000 Auckland Cup. The Reactor made a three wide brush from last to first in a matter of seconds. It was a visually impressive, once-in-a-lifetime type move. He then easily sprinted away from Monkey King and Changeover with minimal encouragement from Purdon. The victory pushed Reactor’s career bankroll north of the $1 million plateau; stamping him as the fastest Down Under horse to achieve that milestone.

No horse in the world was pacing better than Auckland Reactor. The horse was infallible; a tremendous Kiwi pacing machine capable of doing no wrong. Not only had the Reactor been nothing less than brilliant, but his connections always knew the right buttons to push as well.

Unfortunately, a reversal of fortunes was on the immediate horizon. A fateful trip of 4,000 kilometers across the Tasman Sea was about to wipe the luster from the shining star.

Reactor’s owners made a stunning 11th hour decision that rocked Australia in the weeks leading to the $1 million 2009 Interdominons at Gold Coast. Auckland Reactor was supplemented for $22,000 as the lone four-year-old to the three week series.

In the first heat, Auckland Reactor failed to cross the wire first for only the second time in his career, finishing a fast closing but distant second after being shuffled back next to last earlier in the mile. The race did not come without controversy, as it was later ruled by the Australian stewards that trainer and regular driver Purdon had not given the Reactor “every possible chance of winning,” and the veteran driver was to be set down and suspended for six weeks.

The drive Purdon gave Auckland Reactor in the first heat of the Interdominons bordered on the conservative side, and not entirely without good reason. Also, it was not the type of drive that isn’t commonplace nightly at any given track in the U.S.

With new pilot in tow, Auckland Reactor would bounce back to capture a second heat win one week later. It set the stage for a showdown with consecutive three time winner (’06, ’07, ’08) and defending champion (now 2010 winner and $4 million career earner) Blacks A Fake. With 2006 Little Brown Jug winner Mr. Feelgood signed on as well, the race became one of the most highly anticipated Interdominions Grand Finals in history.

Having drawn the horrific far outside starting position in the second row, the great Victorian driver Gavin Lang pulled the Reactor back to second last, right outside of eventual winner Mr. Feelgood. But then the horse started hitting the under shaft of the bike, suddenly bolted, and Lang had no choice but to go on with him, desperately pressing forward three wide. The horse remained racing uncontrollably on the outside uncovered while staring down Blacks A Fake, before losing his air 600 meters from home. The Reactor had been humbled. He finished twelfth and last.

Nearly eight months to the day following the ill fated Interdominons trip, Auckland Reactor returned back to Australia, this time in Sydney for the 2009 Miracle Mile. The race at Menangle Park was labeled as a career defining race for Auckland Reactor; where he would look to avenge the memory of his past Australian letdown for good.

In the $500,000 race, Auckland Reactor never fired his best shot. Ironically, it was Monkey King – who had proved no match for Auckland Reactor throughout a number of their past wars, including the Auckland Cup – who won the race and obliterated the all time Australian speed mark with a 1:50.8 clocking.

Following the Miracle Mile, it was discovered that the Reactor’s airway had been obstructed from a soft palate dislocation.

“The vet that scoped him after the [Miracle Mile] had found a great big ulcer on the left side of his palate, a large ulceration, and to do what he did in the Miracle Mile was quite an amazing feat,” said Curtin. “I think his run was spectacular considering how awful he looked and felt that day. He was still within a couple lengths of the record timed winner, and still finished ahead of Blacks A Fake.”

After elevating into mainstream media status and inspiring scenes never seen before on Kiwi racetracks, Auckland Reactor had become New Zealand's forgotten hero just months later. In a game of “what have you done for me lately,” the Reactor’s fall from grace was underscored by the lack of attention upon his departure to North America.

But Curtin remains as confident in the Reactor as ever. “When that horse is 100% healthy, I’m hoping he’ll show the world just how good he is. I’ve seen the phenomenal things that he's done down here, and if he can replicate them there is no doubt in my mind he'll break a world record.”

A look at Auckland Reactor’s 2010 stakes schedule reveals one opportunity for a world record attempt could come on August 7 at The Meadowlands in the U.S. Pacing Championship. At the East Rutherford racetrack in the shadow of New York city, the stake is included on a day of racing known for producing extraordinarily fast race times.

Beginning with the most recent in 2009, winning times for the U.S. Pacing Championship over the past five years have been 1:47.4, 1:48.2, 1:47.4, 1:48.1, and Holborn Hanover’s world record mile of 1:46.4. Even the 1:49.2 lifetime mark by Montecito N last year came on the same day as the U.S. Pacing Championship.

Now into April, Harrison said, “So far [Auckland Reactor] is absolutely perfect. He got sick when he first arrived here, which believe it or not, is a good thing since he got through it well and it’s now out of the way. He’s gained a lot of weight, gained a lot of muscle, and looks extremely well.”

Unraced since the Miracle Mile in November, Auckland Reactor is scheduled to visit the Meadowlands track for his initial stateside qualifier during the first week of May; gearing up for his first pari-mutuel start in the weeks to follow.

With wins in 25 of his 31 lifetime starts and just under $1.5 million in career earnings, the Reactor now finds himself in an unfamiliar land and in unfamiliar territory, with something to prove once again. He'll be seeking redemption - and should all of the stars align - he'll be seeking something a little bit more.

To trip the teletimer in anything better than 1:46.4 and eclipse the world record, Auckland Reactor will have to fly. According to legend, it wouldn’t be the first time.

(Brett Sturman and Derick Giwner)