The Record
Sweet Zipper Bell appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2003 to 2005, with 8 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 3 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:58.2, set on Monday, October 11, 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 comparison against the divisional marks misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as SWEET PEOPLE out of ZIPPER BELL, herself by NUKES LOBELL. 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 Sweet Zipper Bell was entered in run to QUA, FMNW300PS, FMNW200PS, NW3PMLT, NW2PMLT, 2000CL OP. 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 Sweet Zipper Bell most often were John Hogan (3), Brad D Irvine (2), Winston D Campbell (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 2005 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | Todd M Kolbe | QUA |
| Nov 6, 2004 | 6 | — | AE | — | — | John L Mac Eachern | FMNW300PS |
| Oct 18, 2004 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 1:59.1 | 4.60 | Winston D Campbell | FMNW300PS |
| Oct 11, 2004 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1:58.2 | 8.40 | Winston D Campbell | FMNW200PS |
| Sep 25, 2004 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1:59.2 | 11.30 | Brad D Irvine | NW3PMLT |
| Sep 18, 2004 | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | John Hogan | NW2PMLT |
| Aug 17, 2004 | 3 | 8 | 3 | - | 20.30 | Brad D Irvine | FMNW300PS |
| Aug 10, 2004 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1:59.0 | 13.70 | Ronald L Cushing | 2000CL OP |
| Jun 19, 2004 | 7 | — | 8 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | NW1PMLT |
| Dec 2, 2003 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2:02.0 | 9.90 | John Hogan | NW2PMLT |
| Nov 25, 2003 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2:04.1 | 32.70 | John Hogan | NW2PMLT |
| Nov 18, 2003 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2:00.2 | 6.90 | John Hogan | NW2PMLT |
| Nov 8, 2003 | 6 | — | 9 | — | — | Gregory J Annaloro | FMNW200PS |
| Nov 1, 2003 | 7 | — | 7 | — | — | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2PMLT |
| Oct 25, 2003 | 5 | — | 7 | — | — | Gregory J Annaloro | NW2PMLT |
| Sep 27, 2003 | 2 | — | 7 | — | — | John Hogan | NW1PMLT |
| Sep 20, 2003 | 8 | — | 2 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | FMNW200PS |
| Sep 1, 2003 | 4 | — | 7 | — | — | Scott R Nichols | NW1PMLT |
Questions about this horse
What were the odds on Sweet Zipper Bell?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 4.60 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 Sweet Zipper Bell go to the gate here?
The record shows 8 charted starts for Sweet Zipper Bell, 2003 to 2005. The name appears on 18 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 Sweet Zipper Bell ever win here?
Yes — 1 win from 8 starts, a strike rate of 12.5%. Adding 1 second and 1 third, Sweet Zipper Bell finished in the first three on 3 occasions.
What was Sweet Zipper Bell's fastest mile?
1:58.2, on 2004-10-11. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:58.2 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Sweet Zipper Bell?
John Hogan (3), Brad D Irvine (2) and Winston D Campbell (2), plus 1 other driver taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Sweet Zipper Bell 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 Sweet Zipper Bell race in?
QUA, FMNW300PS, FMNW200PS and NW3PMLT, plus 3 other conditions. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.