The Record
Lancelot appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2003 to 2005, 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 2 occasions.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:57.3, set on Tuesday, September 14, 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 five-eighths-mile oval 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 classes Lancelot was entered in run to GASBARRO, 4000CL, 4000CLHC, NW6PMLT, NW2000L6, 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 Lancelot most often were Thomas R Eaton (4), Robert W Sumner (2), Greg D Bowden (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2005 | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | Brad D Irvine | GASBARRO |
| Nov 2, 2004 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1:58.0 | 9.40 | Thomas R Eaton | 4000CL |
| Oct 19, 2004 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1:59.3 | 6.30 | Thomas R Eaton | 4000CL |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1:58.1 | 12.50 | Thomas R Eaton | 4000CL |
| Sep 28, 2004 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1:59.3 | 19.30 | Thomas R Eaton | 4000CLHC |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1:57.4 | 2.00 | Robert W Sumner | 4000CL |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1:57.3 | 5.20 | Greg D Bowden | 4000CL |
| May 4, 2004 | 9 | — | 3 | — | — | Robert W Sumner | NW6PMLT |
| Apr 20, 2004 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1:58.0 | 3.00 | Robert W Sumner | NW6PMLT |
| Sep 15, 2003 | 5 | — | 6 | — | — | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2000L6 |
| Sep 8, 2003 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2PMLT |
| Sep 1, 2003 | 11 | — | 8 | — | — | TBA | NW2PMLT |
Questions about this horse
Which conditions was Lancelot entered under?
GASBARRO, 4000CL, 4000CLHC and NW6PMLT, plus 2 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 Lancelot?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 2.00 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 starts does the record show for Lancelot?
The record shows 7 charted starts for Lancelot, 2003 to 2005. The name appears on 12 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 Lancelot finish in these races?
Not in the charts recovered here. Lancelot shows 7 starts without a win, though there were 2 placings — 1 second and 1 third — in the first three.
What is the best time recorded for Lancelot?
1:57.3, on 2004-09-14. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:57.3 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Lancelot?
Thomas R Eaton (4), Robert W Sumner (2) and Greg D Bowden (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Lancelot 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.