The Record
Western Mischief appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across 2 seasons, 2003 to 2004, with 6 starts for which the official chart records a finishing position. 2 of those produced wins, and the horse finished in the first three on 5 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:57.3, set on Monday, September 27, 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 reading one mile against another misleading.
The winner's line in the chart gives the breeding as WESTERN HANOVER out of AMERICAN MISCHIEF, herself by SONSAM. 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 Western Mischief was entered in run to 3000CL OP, FM3000CLHC, 3000CL, FMCLM, FMNPO, FMNW250PS. 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 Western Mischief most often were Michael L Cushing (6). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2004 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1:57.3 | 4.40 | Michael L Cushing | 3000CL OP |
| Sep 13, 2004 | 1 | — | 6 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | FM3000CLHC |
| Sep 7, 2004 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 1:58.1 | 9.20 | Michael L Cushing | 3000CL OP |
| Aug 7, 2004 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 1:58.2 | 3.10 | Michael L Cushing | 3000CL |
| Jun 19, 2004 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | FMCLM |
| Dec 2, 2003 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 2:00.2 | 2.40 | Michael L Cushing | FMNPO |
| Nov 25, 2003 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1:58.1 | 2.10 | Michael L Cushing | FMNPO |
| Nov 18, 2003 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1:58.2 | 6.40 | Michael L Cushing | FMNPO |
| Nov 11, 2003 | 4 | — | 4 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | 3000CL OP |
| Sep 8, 2003 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | 3000CL OP |
| Sep 2, 2003 | 8 | — | 7 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | FMNW250PS |
| Jul 26, 2003 | 5 | — | 7 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | FMNW250PS |
| Jun 16, 2003 | 3 | — | 6 | — | — | Michael L Cushing | FMCLMHC |
Questions about this horse
What were the odds on Western Mischief?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 2.10 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 Western Mischief?
The record shows 6 charted starts for Western Mischief, 2003 to 2004. The name appears on 13 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 Western Mischief finish in these races?
Yes — 2 wins from 6 starts, a strike rate of 33.3%. Adding 2 seconds and 1 third, Western Mischief finished in the first three on 5 occasions.
What was Western Mischief's fastest mile?
1:57.3, on 2004-09-27. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:57.3 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.
Which drivers sat behind Western Mischief?
Michael L Cushing took every recorded drive — 6 starts.
Was Western Mischief 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 Western Mischief race in?
3000CL OP, FM3000CLHC, 3000CL and FMCLM, plus 3 other conditions. Each code is a set of eligibility conditions rather than a grade — the class pages explain what each one admitted.