The Record
Gwen appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across the 2004 season, with 3 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 2 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 2:00.3, 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 a track of this size 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 INCREDIBLE ABE out of GARLAND OF HEATHER, herself by GARLAND LOBELL. 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 Gwen was entered in run to 5000CL OP, BUNKERHILL, NW500PS. 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 Gwen most often were Lloyd A MacDonald (2), Daniel T Sumner (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 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2:01.3 | 2.20 | Lloyd A MacDonald | 5000CL OP |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2:00.3 | 5.80 | Lloyd A MacDonald | 5000CL OP |
| May 4, 2004 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | Daniel T Sumner | BUNKERHILL |
| Apr 19, 2004 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2:00.4 | 20.90 | Daniel T Sumner | NW500PS |
Questions about this horse
How often did Gwen go to the gate here?
The record shows 3 charted starts for Gwen, 2004. The name appears on 4 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 Gwen ever win here?
Yes — 1 win from 3 starts, a strike rate of 33.3%. Adding 1 second and 0 thirds, Gwen finished in the first three on 2 occasions.
What was Gwen's fastest mile?
2:00.3, on 2004-10-18. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 2:00.3 is 2 minutes and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Gwen?
Lloyd A MacDonald (2) and Daniel T Sumner (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Gwen a trotter or a pacer?
A trotter — every charted start is at the trot. 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.
What class did Gwen race in?
5000CL OP, BUNKERHILL and NW500PS. 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 Gwen?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 2.20 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.