The Record
Checkers Speech appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2003 to 2005, with 7 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 3 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:56.2, set on Monday, November 24, 2003. 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as PRESIDENTIAL BALL out of TWIXT LAUXMONT, herself by SAFE ARRIVAL. 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 Checkers Speech was entered in run to QUA, 2000CL, 3BY3, CLM, 2000CLHC, CLMHC. 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 Checkers Speech most often were Leigh W Fitch (2), Shawn T Gray (1), Ronald L Cushing (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2005 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | QUA |
| Nov 2, 2004 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 1:59.1 | 96.00 | Winston D Campbell | 2000CL |
| Oct 16, 2004 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1:59.3 | 9.20 | Joseph C Nassimos | 2000CL |
| Sep 7, 2004 | 5 | — | SCR | - | — | — | 3BY3 |
| Jun 19, 2004 | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | CLM |
| Apr 17, 2004 | 9 | 7 | 4X | 2:00.1 | 1.30 | Ronald L Cushing | 2000CLHC |
| Apr 10, 2004 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1:59.3 | 1.40 | Shawn T Gray | 2000CLHC |
| Nov 24, 2003 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1:56.2 | 6.50 | Leigh W Fitch | 2000CL |
| Nov 18, 2003 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1:58.3 | 7.90 | Leigh W Fitch | 2000CL |
| Nov 3, 2003 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | Shawn T Gray | CLMHC |
| Oct 14, 2003 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | TBA | 3000CL |
Questions about this horse
Was Checkers Speech a trotter or a pacer?
A pacer — every charted start is at the pace. 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 Checkers Speech race in?
QUA, 2000CL, 3BY3 and CLM, plus 3 other conditions. 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 Checkers Speech?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.30 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 starts does the record show for Checkers Speech?
The record shows 7 charted starts for Checkers Speech, 2003 to 2005. The name appears on 11 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.
How did Checkers Speech finish in these races?
Yes — 2 wins from 7 starts, a strike rate of 28.6%. Adding 0 seconds and 1 third, Checkers Speech finished in the first three on 3 occasions.
What was Checkers Speech's fastest mile?
1:56.2, on 2003-11-24. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:56.2 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Checkers Speech?
Leigh W Fitch (2), Shawn T Gray (1) and Ronald L Cushing (1), plus 2 other drivers taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.