The rules won’t allow him to race another mile after this year, but don’t tell Anvil Raider N that. The fiery 14-year-old pacer still has plenty left in the tank and plenty of kick left in him. Literally.
Story by Chris Lomon
Nasty. Mean-spirited. Ornery. A handful. All are accurate descriptions of a horse that will soon call it a career, his mandatory retirement date set for December 31.
And all are terms of endearment.
“I absolutely love this guy,” said Ronnie Wrenn Jr., his regular driver. “I truly do. He’s got bad habits, but thankfully, those incidents don’t happen when he’s competing. He’s really just the type of horse you want to drive.”
At an age when most of his brethren are frolicking on farmland, the ‘Anvil’ is still hammering out wins, a head-turning 20 on the year, 92 overall, as of November 19. He remains an imposing figure wherever he happens to be.
And he has certainly not mellowed with age. Not in the least.
Over the years, racing fans have often been witness to Anvil Raider N (In the Pocket – Motu Sweet Lady) kicking repeatedly with his back legs while his sulky is unhooked just outside of the paddock.
That’s mild in comparison to some of his other antics.
“I really believe the fight he has in him has made him the horse he is,” offered Wrenn, who leads all North American drivers in wins with 624. “I remember one time at Windsor, the race is over, and we were coming back to the paddock. It was the last race of the night, the lights go off and he just loses it. Instead of turning into the paddock, he takes me for a wild ride. I thought we were headed off into a cornfield, but then he just stopped. When you drive him in a race, he’s like a Cadillac. Otherwise, it’s quite a different story.”
Such scenes, big wins and belligerent behavior, have been the norm since he arrived on U.S. soil. Rob Harmon and Chuck Campbell bought a package of three horses from New Zealand and Australia in 2006, including Anvil Raider N.
It didn’t take long for any of his connections to understand they had a headstrong horse.
But each would happily contend it’s that fire in the belly that has spurred the lifetime earner of nearly $350,000, who has been under the care of owner/trainer Will Johnson for the past five years, to a decorated career.
“I don’t mind that they’re bad actors as long as they want to give 100 per cent when they go out to race,” said Johnson, in a story that appeared on the USTA website. “I admire a horse that does that, because there’s a lot that don’t. They come back and they’re hardly breathing. They put out 75 percent. I don’t mind the bad acting if they give the effort.”
There was certainly no way to determine as to what type of horse, talent-wise, Anvil Raider N was going to be when he made the trek from Australia to the U.S. He had fared well in the first 11 starts of his career Down Under, including a triumph in his first start on February 25, 2006.
How he’d adapt to North American tracks was anyone’s guess.
The answer came on July 20, 2006, at Raceway Park in Toledo, Ohio. Anvil Raider N strutted to a 12-length triumph in his first qualifier in 1:59.2. For an encore, three days later, he trounced his nearest rival by 7 ¼-lengths in 1:54.1.
Some seven-plus years later, the gelding is still a force to be reckoned with. In 2012, he won 10 of 37 starts. This year, with 20 wins in 34 trips, he’s even more impressive. It’s been a campaign highlighted by a streak of five consecutive scores, as well as a 14-race streak to begin the year that never saw him finish worse than second (11 wins and 3 seconds).
The numbers simply don’t lie: Anvil Raider N has indeed gotten better with age. In 2013, he’s amongst the North American leaders in seasonal wins.
While he doesn’t come close to equaling his lifetime-best mark of 1:51 (set at Mohawk when he was eight) anymore and isn’t knocking heads with the elite names in the game, Anvil Raider N hasn’t lost an ounce of his competitive spirit.
And displays of defiance are still very much shown away from the racing oval. But that’s in stark contrast to his demeanor once it’s time to compete.
Consider him standardbred racing’s version of Jekyll and Hyde.
“He’s so easy to work with on the track,” complimented Wrenn, who notched his 1,000th career win on August 13 at Northfield Park, a night that saw him record eight victories. “But I’ve been lucky to escape his antics off the track. He’s bitten my wheel discs a few times. There’s probably been a time or two where’s he tried to take a nip at me and just missed. But for everything that he does like that, when you line up behind that gate, he makes your job very easy.”
In spite of his longevity and enviable record, Anvil Raider N has dealt with tough times, win-wise, over the years.
One particular stretch saw him go 16 races without a first-place showing. From June 23, 2012 until December of that same year, Anvil Raider N’s closest brush with victory came on December 8, a narrow neck loss.
But, in keeping with his character, he battled back and snapped the losing streak three days before Christmas, which wound up being the start of a five-race win streak.
It was hardly a surprising turn of events, according to Wrenn, who began driving in 2008.
“He just loves to race,” he said. “He wants to compete. He’s been streaky throughout his career. It’s just like any athlete. He’ll have his hot and cold times. But he always finds a way to get back into a groove and find a way to win. He’s very aggressive and enjoys that fight down the lane.”
There won’t be any comeback story for Anvil Raider N, no opportunity to go down in the annals of sport as an athlete who ditched retirement for a second shot at glory.
If the age rules did change, though, Wrenn believes Anvil Raider N would still be a top-notch performer.
“In a way, it’s unfortunate he can’t race past this year, only because he loves it so much,” said Wrenn. “I’ve always had luck with him and we just seem to get along. The way he goes out there and gives it all, he could race another five years.”
Wrenn, whose goal is to win the Little Brown Jug, will have a rare reminder of Anvil Raider N’s career, something he will be able look at with great fondness.
“You can’t often get a win photo with him because he gets so wound up after the race,” said the 26-year-old reinsman. “But I know I have a few photos we managed to get done over the years.”
What will he miss most about his rough and tumble partner?
“He might not have made a million dollars, but he performed like a horse that did,” praised Wrenn. “He loves to race and he loves to win. You can’t really ask for much more than that. You have to tip your cap to him.”
After all, respecting your elders is never out of fashion.
“I guess you could say that,” Wrenn said with a laugh. “He just gives you everything he’s got. He might be an older horse, but he certainly never acts like one.”