The Record
Zorba appears in the surviving Plainridge programs across the 2004 season, with 6 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 2 occasions altogether.
The fastest mile recorded here is 1:57.0, 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 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 PRESIDENTIAL BALL out of MONA TINA, herself by BIG TOWNER. 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 Zorba was entered in run to 4000CLHC, 4000CL, NW200PSL5. 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 Zorba most often were Wayne J Mastro (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2004 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 1:57.2 | 31.80 | Wayne J Mastro | 4000CLHC |
| Oct 19, 2004 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1:59.0 | 39.30 | Wayne J Mastro | 4000CL |
| Oct 12, 2004 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1:59.4 | 100.10 | Wayne J Mastro | 4000CL |
| Sep 27, 2004 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1:57.0 | 20.40 | Wayne J Mastro | NW200PSL5 |
| Sep 21, 2004 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1:58.0 | 69.00 | Wayne J Mastro | 4000CL |
| Sep 14, 2004 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 1:59.1 | 13.90 | Wayne J Mastro | 4000CL |
Questions about this horse
Who drove Zorba?
Wayne J Mastro took every recorded drive — 6 starts.
Was Zorba 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.
Which conditions was Zorba entered under?
4000CLHC, 4000CL and NW200PSL5. 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 Zorba?
The shortest price in the recovered charts is 13.90 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 starts does the record show for Zorba?
The record shows 6 charted starts for Zorba, 2004. Those fall across 6 race days. 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 Zorba finish in these races?
Yes — 1 win from 6 starts, a strike rate of 16.7%. Adding 1 second and 0 thirds, Zorba finished in the first three on 2 occasions.
What is the best time recorded for Zorba?
1:57.0, on 2004-09-27. Harness times are read as minutes, seconds and fifths, so 1:57.0 is 1 minute and the rest in seconds — the final fifth is the digit after the last point.