The Record
Express Route appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across the 2004 season, with 2 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 1 occasion altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:56.4, set on Tuesday, November 2, 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 NOBLELAND SAM out of GAAL, herself by LAAG. 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 Express Route was entered in run to 7500CL, AMATEUR. 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 Express Route most often were Roderick L Cushing (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2004 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 1:56.4 | 4.60 | Ronald L Cushing | 7500CL |
| Oct 16, 2004 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1:59.3 | .40 | Roderick L Cushing | AMATEUR |
Questions about this horse
Which conditions was Express Route entered under?
7500CL and AMATEUR. 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 Express Route?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 0.40 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.
How many times did Express Route race at Plainridge?
The record shows 2 charted starts for Express Route, 2004. Those fall across 2 race days. 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 Express Route's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 1 win from 2 starts, a strike rate of 50%. Adding 0 seconds and 0 thirds, Express Route finished in the first three on 1 occasion.
What is the best time recorded for Express Route?
1:56.4, on 2004-11-02. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:56.4 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Express Route?
Roderick L Cushing (1) and Ronald L Cushing (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Express Route 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.