The Record
Gambling John appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across the 2004 season, with 7 starts 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 0 occasions.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:57.0, set on Tuesday, September 21, 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 classes Gambling John was entered in run to NW300PS, 5000CL, 4000CLHC, NW200PS, PATRIOT. 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 Gambling John most often were Michael E Eaton (3), Joseph Alongi (2), Brad D Irvine (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 6, 2004 | 8 | — | 9 | — | — | TBA | NW300PS |
| Oct 19, 2004 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 2:06.3 | 29.80 | John Hogan | 5000CL |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 1:58.1 | 48.30 | Brad D Irvine | 4000CLHC |
| Sep 28, 2004 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 1:58.4 | 7.50 | Michael E Eaton | 4000CLHC |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1:57.0 | 10.00 | Michael E Eaton | 5000CL |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 1:57.2 | 4.70 | Michael E Eaton | 5000CL |
| Apr 17, 2004 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 1:59.2 | 4.80 | Joseph Alongi | NW200PS |
| Apr 5, 2004 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 2:07.2 | 1.70 | Joseph Alongi | PATRIOT |
Questions about this horse
What class did Gambling John race in?
NW300PS, 5000CL, 4000CLHC and NW200PS, plus 1 other condition. 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 Gambling John?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.70 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 Gambling John go to the gate here?
The record shows 7 charted starts for Gambling John, 2004. The name appears on 8 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 Gambling John ever win here?
Not in the charts recovered here. Gambling John shows 7 starts without a win, though no placing inside the first three is recorded either.
What was Gambling John's fastest mile?
1:57.0, on 2004-09-21. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:57.0 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Gambling John?
Michael E Eaton (3), Joseph Alongi (2) and Brad D Irvine (1), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Gambling John 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.