The Record
Classy Talker appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 6 seasons, 2003 to 2009, with 12 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 6 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:54.3, set on Tuesday, September 14, 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as LOOK SHARP out of BJ FAME, herself by FARMSTEAD'S FAME. 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 Classy Talker was entered in run to 3000CL, NW200PSL5, NW200PS, NW700PS, 5000CLM, 10000CLHC. 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 Classy Talker most often were James E Hardy (7), John Hogan (3), Kevin P Switzer (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
Questions about this horse
How many starts does the record show for Classy Talker?
The record shows 12 charted starts for Classy Talker, 2003 to 2009. The name appears on 29 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 Classy Talker finish in these races?
Yes — 2 wins from 12 starts, a strike rate of 16.7%. Adding 1 second and 3 thirds, Classy Talker finished in the first three on 6 occasions.
What was Classy Talker's fastest mile?
1:54.3, on 2004-09-14. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:54.3 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Classy Talker?
James E Hardy (7), John Hogan (3) and Kevin P Switzer (1), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Classy Talker 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 Classy Talker race in?
3000CL, NW200PSL5, NW200PS and NW700PS, plus 16 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 Classy Talker?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 6.40 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.