The Record
Fun Message appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 10 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 4 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:58.4, set on Monday, October 18, 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 comparison against the divisional marks misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as CARRY THE MESSAGE out of RACHEL J, herself by SUPER T.. 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 Fun Message was entered in run to OPEN, 10000CL OP, CLMHC, NW500PS, BUNKERHILL, NW400PS. 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 Fun Message most often were Scott R Nichols (5), Fernand A Paquet Jr (3), Bruce W Ranger (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2004 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1:59.3 | 7.60 | Fernand A Paquet Jr | OPEN |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 1:58.4 | 10.60 | Fernand A Paquet Jr | OPEN |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2:00.3 | 5.10 | Fernand A Paquet Jr | OPEN |
| Sep 27, 2004 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 1:59.3 | 11.30 | James Marohn Jr | 10000CL OP |
| Sep 13, 2004 | 5 | — | 7 | — | — | James Marohn | CLMHC |
| Aug 10, 2004 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1:59.1 | 6.20 | Bruce W Ranger | NW500PS |
| Aug 3, 2004 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2:00.1 | 26.50 | Scott R Nichols | OPEN |
| May 4, 2004 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | BUNKERHILL |
| Apr 19, 2004 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2:01.4 | 2.20 | Scott R Nichols | NW400PS |
| Apr 13, 2004 | 2 | 7 | X9 | 2:04.3 | 2.50 | Scott R Nichols | 5000CL OP |
| Apr 5, 2004 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2:03.0 | 1.00 | Scott R Nichols | NW350PS |
| Sep 15, 2003 | 4 | — | 8 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | NW2PMLT |
| Jul 26, 2003 | 6 | — | 7 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | 2000CL OP |
| Jul 21, 2003 | 11 | — | 1 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | NW2500 |
| Jul 12, 2003 | 5 | — | 2 | — | — | TBA | NW200PS |
| Jul 5, 2003 | 7 | — | 2 | — | — | Donald V Guidette | NW200PS |
| Jun 21, 2003 | 2 | — | 7 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | NW200PS |
| Jun 16, 2003 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | NW1500 |
| May 31, 2003 | 6 | 8 | 1 | - | 1.00 | Scott R Nichols | 3000CL OP |
Questions about this horse
Which drivers sat behind Fun Message?
Scott R Nichols (5), Fernand A Paquet Jr (3) and Bruce W Ranger (1), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Fun Message 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.
What class did Fun Message race in?
OPEN, 10000CL OP, CLMHC and NW500PS, plus 10 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 Fun Message?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.00 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 Fun Message race at Plainridge?
The record shows 10 charted starts for Fun Message, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 19 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 Fun Message's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 2 wins from 10 starts, a strike rate of 20%. Adding 1 second and 1 third, Fun Message finished in the first three on 4 occasions.
What was Fun Message's fastest mile?
1:58.4, on 2004-10-18. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:58.4 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.