The Record
Ruff appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across the 2004 season, 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 1:55.0, set on Monday, April 19, 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 SPORTSMASTER out of FOX VALLEY RUFFLES, herself by ARMBRO WOLF. 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 Ruff was entered in run to BAYSTATE. 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 Ruff most often were Gregory J Annaloro (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 2004 | 8 | — | 9 | 1:55.0 | 5.10 | Gregory J Annaloro | BAYSTATE |
| Apr 5, 2004 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 2:01.0 | 2.70 | Gregory J Annaloro | BAYSTATE |
Questions about this horse
How did Ruff finish in these races?
Yes — 1 win from 2 starts, a strike rate of 50%. Adding 0 seconds and 0 thirds, Ruff finished in the first three on 1 occasion.
What was Ruff's fastest mile?
1:55.0, on 2004-04-19. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:55.0 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Ruff?
Gregory J Annaloro took every recorded drive — 2 starts.
Was Ruff 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 Ruff race in?
BAYSTATE. 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 Ruff?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 2.70 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 starts does the record show for Ruff?
The record shows 2 charted starts for Ruff, 2004. Those fall across 2 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.