The Record
Futile Qwest appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2004 to 2008, with 7 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 1:57.2, 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 direct comparison of raw times misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as GARLAND LOBELL out of PETROLIANNA, herself by TEXAS. 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 Futile Qwest was entered in run to OPEN, NW200PS, NW7PMLT, NW5PMLT, NW2PMLT. 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 Futile Qwest most often were David J Marshall (3), Gregory J Annaloro (2), James E Hardy (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 28, 2008 | 10 | — | 5 | — | — | Ti Griffith | OPEN |
| Jun 19, 2007 | 11 | — | 7 | — | — | T. O'Dea | NW200PS |
| Oct 25, 2004 | 9 | 9 | 2 | - | 1.10 | Elmer L Smith | OPEN |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1:57.2 | 5.30 | James E Hardy | OPEN |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1:57.4 | 3.90 | David J Marshall | NW7PMLT |
| Sep 27, 2004 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2:00.3 | 2.20 | David J Marshall | NW5PMLT |
| Apr 17, 2004 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 2:01.4 | 1.50 | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2PMLT |
| Apr 10, 2004 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2:02.4 | .40 | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2PMLT |
| Apr 5, 2004 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2:07.0 | 2.30 | David J Marshall | NW200PS |
Questions about this horse
What were the odds on Futile Qwest?
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 Futile Qwest race at Plainridge?
The record shows 7 charted starts for Futile Qwest, 2004 to 2008. The name appears on 9 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 Futile Qwest's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 2 wins from 7 starts, a strike rate of 28.6%. Adding 2 seconds and 0 thirds, Futile Qwest finished in the first three on 4 occasions.
What is the best time recorded for Futile Qwest?
1:57.2, on 2004-10-18. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:57.2 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Futile Qwest?
David J Marshall (3), Gregory J Annaloro (2) and James E Hardy (1), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Futile Qwest 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.
Which conditions was Futile Qwest entered under?
OPEN, NW200PS, NW7PMLT and NW5PMLT, plus 1 other condition. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.