The Record
Fluster appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 4 seasons, 2001 to 2004, with 11 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 3 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 5 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:54.0, 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 a track of this size 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 CAM'S CARD SHARK out of FEVERISH, herself by TROUBLEMAKER. 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 Fluster was entered in run to OPEN, OPENHC, BAYSTATE, CHARMAX, 20000CLHC, 15000CLHC. 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 Fluster most often were Greg D Bowden (4), James E Hardy (4), Thomas E Carlstrom (2). 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 19, 2004 | 9 | — | SCR | - | — | — | OPEN |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 1:56.0 | 4.40 | James E Hardy | OPEN |
| Sep 28, 2004 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1:54.3 | .90 | James E Hardy | OPEN |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1:56.4 | 2.30 | James E Hardy | OPEN |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1:54.0 | 9.90 | James E Hardy | OPEN |
| May 4, 2004 | 11 | — | 4 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | OPENHC |
| Apr 20, 2004 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1:54.3 | 8.10 | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Apr 13, 2004 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 1:57.2 | 2.50 | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | BAYSTATE |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1:56.1 | .70 | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Nov 17, 2003 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 1:56.2 | 1.80 | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Nov 3, 2003 | 12 | — | 1 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Sep 30, 2003 | 3 | — | 5 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Sep 23, 2003 | 5 | — | 7 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Sep 1, 2003 | 9 | — | 7 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | CHARMAX |
| May 13, 2002 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2:01.3 | 37.30 | Thomas E Carlstrom | 20000CLHC |
| Oct 23, 2001 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1:55.1 | 32.60 | Thomas E Carlstrom | 15000CLHC |
Questions about this horse
What class did Fluster race in?
OPEN, OPENHC, BAYSTATE and CHARMAX, plus 2 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 Fluster?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 0.70 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 often did Fluster go to the gate here?
The record shows 11 charted starts for Fluster, 2001 to 2004. The name appears on 16 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.
Did Fluster ever win here?
Yes — 3 wins from 11 starts, a strike rate of 27.3%. Adding 2 seconds and 0 thirds, Fluster finished in the first three on 5 occasions.
What was Fluster's fastest mile?
1:54.0, on 2004-09-14. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:54.0 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Fluster?
Greg D Bowden (4), James E Hardy (4) and Thomas E Carlstrom (2). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Fluster 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.