The Record
Henna Caffe appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 15 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 7 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:56.2, set on Tuesday, September 7, 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as KEYSTONE RAIDER out of TRUSTING LADY, herself by HAPPY MOTORING. 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 Henna Caffe was entered in run to 3000CL, FMNW300PS, 4000CL OP, FMNW200PS, FMNW250PS, FMNW250. 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 Henna Caffe most often were Todd M O'Dea (15). 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
Questions about this horse
What were the odds on Henna Caffe?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 0.80 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 starts does the record show for Henna Caffe?
The record shows 15 charted starts for Henna Caffe, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 20 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.
How did Henna Caffe finish in these races?
Yes — 2 wins from 15 starts, a strike rate of 13.3%. Adding 1 second and 4 thirds, Henna Caffe finished in the first three on 7 occasions.
What is the best time recorded for Henna Caffe?
1:56.2, on 2004-09-07. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:56.2 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Henna Caffe?
Todd M O'Dea took every recorded drive — 15 starts.
Was Henna Caffe a trotter or a pacer?
Both gaits appear in this record: pace and trot. That is unusual and is worth reading as the chart wrote it rather than as a settled fact.
Which conditions was Henna Caffe entered under?
3000CL, FMNW300PS, 4000CL OP and FMNW200PS, plus 4 other conditions. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.