The Record
Sam's Trick appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 5 seasons, 2004 to 2009, with 5 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 4 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:55.0, set on Tuesday, September 14, 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as NOBLELAND SAM out of SAND TRICK, herself by SANDMAN HANOVER. 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 Sam's Trick was entered in run to NW200PSL5, AMATEUR, 4000CL, BAYSTATE, 7500CL, 10000CL. 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 Sam's Trick most often were James Marohn Jr (2), Scott R Nichols (2), Fernand A Paquet Jr (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2009 | 4 | — | 5 | — | — | Ra Andersen | NW200PSL5 |
| Nov 28, 2008 | 13 | — | 9 | — | — | Ge Smith | AMATEUR |
| Nov 21, 2008 | 7 | — | 8 | — | — | Ge Smith | AMATEUR |
| Jul 24, 2007 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | G. Smith | AMATEUR |
| Sep 26, 2005 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1:56.0 | 5.50 | Scott R Nichols | 4000CL |
| May 9, 2005 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1:57.2 | 1.20 | Scott R Nichols | BAYSTATE |
| Sep 28, 2004 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1:56.0 | 3.10 | James Marohn Jr | 7500CL |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 2:00.4 | 4.60 | James Marohn Jr | 10000CL |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1:55.0 | 16.10 | Fernand A Paquet Jr | 10000CL |
Questions about this horse
What class did Sam's Trick race in?
NW200PSL5, AMATEUR, 4000CL and BAYSTATE, plus 2 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 Sam's Trick?
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 many starts does the record show for Sam's Trick?
The record shows 5 charted starts for Sam's Trick, 2004 to 2009. The name appears on 9 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.
How did Sam's Trick finish in these races?
Yes — 1 win from 5 starts, a strike rate of 20%. Adding 1 second and 2 thirds, Sam's Trick finished in the first three on 4 occasions.
What was Sam's Trick's fastest mile?
1:55.0, on 2004-09-14. 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 Sam's Trick?
James Marohn Jr (2), Scott R Nichols (2) and Fernand A Paquet Jr (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Sam's Trick 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.