The Record
Damon Runyon appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 1 start for which the official chart records a finishing position. None of those starts produced a win in the charts held here, though the horse reached the frame on 1 occasion.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:56.1, 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 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 classes Damon Runyon was entered in run to OPEN, QUA, PESKY, OPENHC. 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 Damon Runyon most often were James Marohn Jr (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2004 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1:56.1 | .90 | James Marohn Jr | OPEN |
| Sep 13, 2004 | 9 | — | 4 | — | — | James Marohn | OPEN |
| Jul 31, 2004 | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | QUA |
| Sep 1, 2003 | 8 | — | 4 | — | — | David L Ingraham | PESKY |
| Jul 14, 2003 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | OPENHC |
Questions about this horse
Was Damon Runyon 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 Damon Runyon race in?
OPEN, QUA, PESKY and OPENHC. 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 Damon Runyon?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 0.90 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 Damon Runyon?
The record shows 1 charted start for Damon Runyon, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 5 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 Damon Runyon finish in these races?
Not in the charts recovered here. Damon Runyon shows 1 start without a win, though there was 1 placing — 1 second and 0 third — in the first three.
What was Damon Runyon's fastest mile?
1:56.1, on 2004-09-27. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:56.1 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Damon Runyon?
James Marohn Jr took every recorded drive — 1 start.