The Record
Chooch appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 7 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 3 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 4 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:58.2, set on Monday, September 27, 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 a five-eighths-mile oval 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 MUSCLES YANKEE out of STAR PROBE, herself by PROBE. 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 Chooch was entered in run to OPEN, 10000CL OP, NW500PS, BUNKERHILL, 7500CL OP, 3000CL OP. 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 Chooch most often were Orrin Phipps (7). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2004 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2:00.3 | 13.80 | Orrin Phipps | OPEN |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1:58.4 | 4.50 | Orrin Phipps | OPEN |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2:01.4 | 14.20 | Orrin Phipps | OPEN |
| Sep 27, 2004 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1:58.2 | 10.40 | Orrin Phipps | 10000CL OP |
| Sep 13, 2004 | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | OPEN |
| Sep 7, 2004 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1:59.0 | 10.00 | Orrin Phipps | NW500PS |
| Aug 10, 2004 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1:59.1 | 13.50 | Orrin Phipps | NW500PS |
| May 4, 2004 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | BUNKERHILL |
| Dec 2, 2003 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2:04.1 | 17.00 | Orrin Phipps | 7500CL OP |
| Nov 11, 2003 | 5 | — | 7 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | 3000CL OP |
| Nov 4, 2003 | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | NW250PS |
| Sep 15, 2003 | 12 | — | 2 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | NW4PMLT |
| Jul 26, 2003 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | Orrin Phipps | NW2PMLT |
Questions about this horse
How many times did Chooch race at Plainridge?
The record shows 7 charted starts for Chooch, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 13 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.
What is Chooch's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 3 wins from 7 starts, a strike rate of 42.9%. Adding 1 second and 0 thirds, Chooch finished in the first three on 4 occasions.
What is the best time recorded for Chooch?
1:58.2, on 2004-09-27. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:58.2 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Chooch?
Orrin Phipps took every recorded drive — 7 starts.
Was Chooch a trotter or a pacer?
Both gaits appear in this record: trot and pace. That is unusual and is worth reading as the chart wrote it rather than as a settled fact.
Which conditions was Chooch entered under?
OPEN, 10000CL OP, NW500PS and BUNKERHILL, plus 5 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 Chooch?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 4.50 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.