The Record
Master Sterling appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2003 to 2005, with 4 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 1:56.2, set on Monday, November 24, 2003. 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 classes Master Sterling was entered in run to GASBARRO, 3000CL, 2000CL, 4000CL, CLM. 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 Sterling most often were Shawn T Gray (2), Todd M Kolbe (1), Winston D Campbell (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 | 1 | — | 6 | — | — | Shawn T Gray | GASBARRO |
| Nov 2, 2004 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1:57.3 | 1.40 | Winston D Campbell | 3000CL |
| Oct 16, 2004 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1:59.2 | 8.00 | Todd M Kolbe | 2000CL |
| Nov 24, 2003 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1:56.2 | 5.90 | Shawn T Gray | 4000CL |
| Nov 17, 2003 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1:58.0 | 3.50 | Shawn T Gray | 4000CL |
| Nov 3, 2003 | 7 | — | 7 | — | — | Shawn T Gray | CLM |
| Oct 14, 2003 | 7 | — | 2 | — | — | Shawn T Gray | 4000CL |
| Sep 23, 2003 | 8 | — | 1 | — | — | Shawn T Gray | CLM |
Questions about this horse
What were the odds on Master Sterling?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.40 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 Master Sterling race at Plainridge?
The record shows 4 charted starts for Master Sterling, 2003 to 2005. The name appears on 8 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 Master Sterling's win record at Plainridge?
Not in the charts recovered here. Master Sterling shows 4 starts without a win, though there were 2 placings — 2 second and 0 third — in the first three.
What was Master Sterling's fastest mile?
1:56.2, on 2003-11-24. 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.
Which drivers sat behind Master Sterling?
Shawn T Gray (2), Todd M Kolbe (1) and Winston D Campbell (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Master Sterling 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 Master Sterling race in?
GASBARRO, 3000CL, 2000CL and 4000CL, plus 1 other condition. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.