The Record
Vandaminator appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 3 seasons, 2003 to 2007, with 6 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. None of those starts produced a win in the charts held here, though the horse reached the frame on 2 occasions.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:56.1, set on Tuesday, September 7, 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 five-eighths-mile oval 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 classes Vandaminator was entered in run to 3000CLM, NW400PS, QUA, NW350PS, BAYSTATE, OPEN. 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 Vandaminator most often were Leigh W Fitch (2), Greg D Bowden (1), Jason J Bartlett (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 2007 | 1 | — | 6 | — | — | S. Thayer | 3000CLM |
| Sep 7, 2004 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 1:56.1 | 1.90 | David L Ingraham | NW400PS |
| May 29, 2004 | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | TBA | QUA |
| Apr 13, 2004 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1:58.1 | 8.20 | James E Hardy | NW350PS |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 7 | — | 2 | — | — | James E Hardy | BAYSTATE |
| Apr 6, 2004 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1:58.0 | 38.60 | Jason J Bartlett | OPEN |
| Dec 1, 2003 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1:58.4 | 2.50 | Leigh W Fitch | NW350PS |
| Nov 24, 2003 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1:57.3 | 5.00 | Leigh W Fitch | NW500PS |
| Nov 17, 2003 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1:56.4 | 4.00 | Greg D Bowden | 15000CL |
| Nov 3, 2003 | 12 | — | 8 | — | — | Greg D Bowden | OPEN |
| Oct 14, 2003 | 12 | — | 8 | — | — | TBA | 15000CLHC |
| Sep 30, 2003 | 11 | — | 7 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | CLMHC |
| Sep 23, 2003 | 11 | — | 8 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | CLMHC |
| Sep 15, 2003 | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | FMNPO |
| Sep 8, 2003 | 12 | — | 1 | — | — | David L Ingraham | 3&4 YOS |
| Sep 1, 2003 | 7 | — | 4 | — | — | David L Ingraham | GUYSMITH |
| Jul 14, 2003 | 11 | — | 7 | — | — | Bruce W Ranger | 4YOINV |
Questions about this horse
What is the best time recorded for Vandaminator?
1:56.1, on 2004-09-07. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:56.1 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Who drove Vandaminator?
Leigh W Fitch (2), Greg D Bowden (1) and Jason J Bartlett (1), plus 2 other drivers taking the remainder. The figure in brackets is the number of drives.
Was Vandaminator 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.
Which conditions was Vandaminator entered under?
3000CLM, NW400PS, QUA and NW350PS, plus 10 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 Vandaminator?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 1.90 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 Vandaminator race at Plainridge?
The record shows 6 charted starts for Vandaminator, 2003 to 2007. The name appears on 16 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.
What is Vandaminator's win record at Plainridge?
Not in the charts recovered here. Vandaminator shows 6 starts without a win, though there were 2 placings — 1 second and 1 third — in the first three.