The Record
Nova Scotia appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 2 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. One of those produced a win, and the horse finished in the first three on 1 occasion altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 2:01.4, set on Saturday, April 10, 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 ARTISCAPE out of NOVA PRINCESS, herself by MATT'S SCOOTER. 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 Nova Scotia was entered in run to NW2PMLT, FMNW3LT, NW1PMLT. 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 Nova Scotia most often were James E Hardy (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
| Date | Rc | Fin | PP | Time | Odds | Driver | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2004 | 3 | — | 7 | — | — | George G Ducharme | NW2PMLT |
| Apr 19, 2004 | 1 | 8 | 3X | - | 5.70 | James E Hardy | FMNW3LT |
| Apr 10, 2004 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2:01.4 | 1.20 | James E Hardy | NW1PMLT |
| Jul 12, 2003 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | George G Ducharme | NW1PMLT |
| Jul 5, 2003 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | George G Ducharme | NW1PMLT |
Questions about this horse
Who drove Nova Scotia?
James E Hardy took every recorded drive — 2 starts.
Was Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia entered under?
NW2PMLT, FMNW3LT and NW1PMLT. 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 Nova Scotia?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.20 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 Nova Scotia go to the gate here?
The record shows 2 charted starts for Nova Scotia, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 5 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 Nova Scotia ever win here?
Yes — 1 win from 2 starts, a strike rate of 50%. Adding 0 seconds and 0 thirds, Nova Scotia finished in the first three on 1 occasion.
What is the best time recorded for Nova Scotia?
2:01.4, on 2004-04-10. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 2:01.4 is 2 minutes and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.