The Record
Awesome Atom appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 3 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. One of those produced a win, and the horse finished in the first three on 2 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 2:00.1, set on Saturday, September 25, 2004. A harness time is written in minutes, seconds and fifths, so the final digit is a fifth of a second rather than a hundredth. On an oval of five-eighths of a mile like Plainridge a horse turns four times in a mile, which costs ground against the bigger tracks and makes comparison against the divisional marks misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as MALADYS ATOM out of HONEST LINDA, herself by HONEST STORY. Harness pedigrees are quoted in that order — sire, dam, then the dam's own sire — because the maternal grandsire carries much of the weight in judging a standardbred family.
The classes Awesome Atom was entered in run to NW200PS, 3000CL OP, NW250PS. These are condition races rather than claiming events, so eligibility rested on money already won rather than on a posted purchase price.
The drivers who sat behind Awesome Atom most often were Ralph H Andersen (2), Greg D Bowden (1). Driver changes matter more in harness racing than the bare numbers suggest, because the same horse can be driven for early speed or held for a late quarter depending on who holds the lines.
Every Start Held Here
| Date | Rc | Fin | PP | Time | Odds | Driver | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2004 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | Ralph H Andersen | NW200PS |
| Oct 16, 2004 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 2:04.1 | 4.50 | Ralph H Andersen | 3000CL OP |
| Oct 9, 2004 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2:03.4 | 3.50 | Ralph H Andersen | 3000CL OP |
| Sep 25, 2004 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2:00.1 | 20.20 | Greg D Bowden | NW200PS |
| Sep 18, 2004 | 8 | — | 6 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | NW200PS |
| Nov 4, 2003 | 5 | — | AE | — | — | Winston D Campbell | NW250PS |
Questions about this horse
What is Awesome Atom's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 1 win from 3 starts, a strike rate of 33.3%. Adding 0 seconds and 1 third, Awesome Atom finished in the first three on 2 occasions.
What was Awesome Atom's fastest mile?
2:00.1, on 2004-09-25. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 2:00.1 is 2 minutes and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Awesome Atom?
Ralph H Andersen (2) and Greg D Bowden (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Awesome Atom a trotter or a pacer?
A trotter — every charted start is at the trot. A pacer moves its legs in lateral pairs, a trotter in diagonal pairs, and a horse is normally campaigned at one gait or the other.
What class did Awesome Atom race in?
NW200PS, 3000CL OP and NW250PS. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.
What were the odds on Awesome Atom?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 3.50 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.
How many times did Awesome Atom race at Plainridge?
The record shows 3 charted starts for Awesome Atom, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 6 race days in all once entry sheets are counted, because a horse can be drawn into a race and then scratched before it is run. That is what the programmes and result sheets hold, not necessarily the horse's full career: starts made at other tracks are outside this record.