The Record
Markalan A appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2004 to 2005, with 6 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 3 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 6 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:53.4, 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as VANSTON HANOVER out of DOJEA SUNNY, herself by FAST KNIGHT. 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 Markalan A was entered in run to 10000CLHC, OPEN, 5000CLHC. 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 Markalan A most often were Ronald L Cushing (6). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2005 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 1:55.2 | 4.70 | Ronald L Cushing | 10000CLHC |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1:53.4 | 3.10 | Ronald L Cushing | OPEN |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1:54.0 | 2.70 | Ronald L Cushing | OPEN |
| Apr 20, 2004 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1:55.1 | 3.50 | Ronald L Cushing | 10000CLHC |
| Apr 13, 2004 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1:58.2 | 1.80 | Ronald L Cushing | 5000CLHC |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 1:57.3 | 5.50 | Ronald L Cushing | 5000CLHC |
Questions about this horse
What was Markalan A's fastest mile?
1:53.4, on 2004-09-21. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:53.4 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Markalan A?
Ronald L Cushing took every recorded drive — 6 starts.
Was Markalan A 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.
What class did Markalan A race in?
10000CLHC, OPEN and 5000CLHC. 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 Markalan A?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.80 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 often did Markalan A go to the gate here?
The record shows 6 charted starts for Markalan A, 2004 to 2005. Those fall across 6 race days. 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 Markalan A ever win here?
Yes — 3 wins from 6 starts, a strike rate of 50%. Adding 1 second and 2 thirds, Markalan A finished in the first three on 6 occasions.