The Record
Lu Lu Spur appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 12 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 5 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:54.4, set on Monday, September 27, 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 KENTUCKY SPUR out of LUCE HANOVER, herself by BIG TOWNER. 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 Lu Lu Spur was entered in run to FMNPO, 4000CL OP, FMNW200PS, FMNW300PS, 7500CL OP, 2000CL OP. 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 Lu Lu Spur most often were Bruce W Ranger (3), James E Hardy (3), David L Ingraham (2). 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 is the best time recorded for Lu Lu Spur?
1:54.4, on 2004-09-27. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:54.4 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Lu Lu Spur?
Bruce W Ranger (3), James E Hardy (3) and David L Ingraham (2), plus 3 other drivers taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Lu Lu Spur 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.
Which conditions was Lu Lu Spur entered under?
FMNPO, 4000CL OP, FMNW200PS and FMNW300PS, plus 12 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 Lu Lu Spur?
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 Lu Lu Spur race at Plainridge?
The record shows 12 charted starts for Lu Lu Spur, 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.
What is Lu Lu Spur's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 2 wins from 12 starts, a strike rate of 16.7%. Adding 1 second and 2 thirds, Lu Lu Spur finished in the first three on 5 occasions.