The Record
Master Of Illusion appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2002 to 2004, with 9 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 4 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:54.0, set on Tuesday, August 17, 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 comparison against the divisional marks misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as MAGICAL MIKE out of LIB TO LAUGH, herself by DIE LAUGHING. 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 Master Of Illusion was entered in run to 15000CLHC, 20000CL, OPEN, NW350PS, NW300PS, NW250PS. 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 Master Of Illusion most often were Michael E Eaton (6), Robert Tisbert (1), Ralph H Andersen (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2004 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1:56.1 | 1.90 | Brad D Irvine | 15000CLHC |
| Oct 19, 2004 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1:57.3 | 91.70 | Michael E Eaton | 20000CL |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 1:56.0 | 18.80 | Michael E Eaton | 15000CLHC |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1:57.0 | 8.00 | Michael E Eaton | 15000CLHC |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1:54.3 | 2.80 | Michael E Eaton | OPEN |
| Aug 17, 2004 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1:54.0 | 2.00 | Michael E Eaton | NW350PS |
| Aug 10, 2004 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1:54.3 | 1.90 | Michael E Eaton | NW300PS |
| Nov 24, 2003 | 5 | — | AE | — | — | Ralph H Andersen | NW250PS |
| Nov 17, 2003 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 2:00.2 | 12.00 | Ralph H Andersen | NW250PS |
| Nov 3, 2003 | 6 | — | 1 | — | — | Ralph H Andersen | NW350PS |
| Oct 7, 2002 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1:55.4 | 29.40 | Robert Tisbert | WO10000 |
Questions about this horse
How often did Master Of Illusion go to the gate here?
The record shows 9 charted starts for Master Of Illusion, 2002 to 2004. The name appears on 11 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 Master Of Illusion ever win here?
Yes — 2 wins from 9 starts, a strike rate of 22.2%. Adding 1 second and 1 third, Master Of Illusion finished in the first three on 4 occasions.
What is the best time recorded for Master Of Illusion?
1:54.0, on 2004-08-17. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:54.0 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Master Of Illusion?
Michael E Eaton (6), Robert Tisbert (1) and Ralph H Andersen (1), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Master Of Illusion 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 Master Of Illusion entered under?
15000CLHC, 20000CL, OPEN and NW350PS, plus 3 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 Master Of Illusion?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.90 to one. Odds are the closing figures printed on the chart, so they reflect what the pool decided at the off, not a forecast.