The Record
Starburst Bluechip appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 9 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 5 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:55.1, 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 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 GOALIE JEFF out of MARCHING COLLINS, herself by JOLLY ROGER. 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 Starburst Bluechip was entered in run to FMNPO, FMOPEN, FMNW400PS, 10000CL OP, 7500CL OP, W1-3PMLT. 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 Starburst Bluechip most often were Robert W Sumner (7), Shane J Taggart (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25, 2004 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1:56.2 | 3.50 | Robert W Sumner | FMNPO |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1:56.2 | 2.00 | Robert W Sumner | FMNPO |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 1:56.3 | 12.60 | Robert W Sumner | FMOPEN |
| Sep 27, 2004 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1:57.3 | 4.80 | Robert W Sumner | FMNPO |
| Sep 13, 2004 | 12 | — | 7 | — | — | Robert W Sumner | FMNW400PS |
| Sep 7, 2004 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1:56.0 | 1.50 | Robert W Sumner | 10000CL OP |
| Aug 17, 2004 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1:55.1 | 20.10 | Robert W Sumner | 7500CL OP |
| Aug 10, 2004 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1:56.3 | 10.90 | Robert W Sumner | 7500CL OP |
| Apr 19, 2004 | 4 | — | SCR | - | — | — | FMOPEN |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 3 | — | 4 | — | — | Robert W Sumner | W1-3PMLT |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1:59.1 | 17.70 | Shane J Taggart | FM OPEN |
| Nov 4, 2003 | 12 | — | 4 | — | — | Robert W Sumner | FMNPO |
| Sep 15, 2003 | 11 | — | 2 | — | — | Robert W Sumner | NW1000L6 |
Questions about this horse
What is Starburst Bluechip's win record at Plainridge?
Yes — 1 win from 9 starts, a strike rate of 11.1%. Adding 2 seconds and 2 thirds, Starburst Bluechip finished in the first three on 5 occasions.
What was Starburst Bluechip's fastest mile?
1:55.1, on 2004-08-17. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:55.1 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Starburst Bluechip?
Robert W Sumner (7) and Shane J Taggart (1). The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Starburst Bluechip a trotter or a pacer?
Both gaits appear in this record: pace and trot. That is unusual and is worth reading as the chart wrote it rather than as a settled fact.
What class did Starburst Bluechip race in?
FMNPO, FMOPEN, FMNW400PS and 10000CL OP, plus 4 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 Starburst Bluechip?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.50 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 Starburst Bluechip race at Plainridge?
The record shows 9 charted starts for Starburst Bluechip, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 12 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.