Celebrating Campbell as he turns 55

April 07, 2010

Meadowlands statistician Bob "Hollywood" Heyden has used his blog on the Meadowlands web site to celebrate some of Hall of Famer John Campbell's accomplishments as Campbell turns 55 on Thursday, April 8.

Here are a few of Heyden's gems--That Campbell holds 16 national money-winnings titles to lead in that category, with Billy Haughton second on the list at 12; he was the first catch-driver to win a $1 million race; and he is the ONLY driver to win seven straight races at the Meadowlands.

Heyden's complete list follows.

1) 24 STRAIGHT top 5 finishes in earnings nationally from 1979-2002. The longest CURRENT streak belongs to Dave Miller at 11. (1999-2009)

2) John's the last driver to have the favorite in the Hambletonian with a MALE and a FEMALE horse. 1992-Armbro Keepsake-1998 Muscles Yankee, 2003 Power To Charm

3) Eclipsed the $100 million, $200 Million and $250 million barriers ALL in the Breeders Crown. 1991, 2001 and the last with Snow White in 2007.

4) Owns the record for consecutive Meadowlands titles with 7 straight, set in 1985-1991.

5) Now 55, John faces long odds come Breeders Crown time. Only NINE of the 298 Breeders Crown races through the years have been won by a driver 55 or older:

Mike Lachance 4 (3 at 55, 1 at 58)

Carl Allen 2 (59 and 69)

Mal Burroughs (55 and 56)

Howard Beissenger (63)

6) John has been in the Hall Of Fame for 20 years-and has banked over $175 million SINCE his 1990 induction.

7) John owns 16 national earnings titles, next on the all-time list is Billy Haughton with 12. John's done it in 4 different DECADES (1979 until 2002)-no other driver has done it in more than two different decades.

8) John has won the Hambletonian three times since his Hall Of Fame induction-only Billy Haughton with 4 AFTER going in has more. (Billy went in 1968, won the Hambo 1974-1976-1977 and 1980)

9) John is past $268 million lifetime-within $30 million of Pat Day's all time mark of $297 million.

10) John is the leading active driver OR JOCKEY in earnings. (Took over that spot in January of 2007 upon Jerry Baileys ($295 million) retirement)

11) It's been 28 YEARS since Johns' first Triple Crown win-1982 Jug-Merger.

12) John was the first CATCH-DRIVER to win a Million $ race-1982-Meadowlands Pace-Hilarion.

13) This year-John will become the first driver to appear in 30 CONSECUTIVE Meadowlands Pace finals. The last one he missed? Niatross' 1980 win-and that year he almost qualified with Curtis Hanover.

14) No one has won any Triple Crown event more than John has in the Messenger stakes-8 wins.

15) In July 1987-John overtook Herve Filion at $58.9 million as the all-time leader in earnings and has held it ever since.

16) Lucky Chucky in 2010-IF he wins the Hambletonian-can make John the first driver to win the Hambo in four DIFFERENT decades.

17) John was the first driver to EVER have a $14 million season when he vaulted past that number in 2001-$14,184,863.

18) John won the North America Cup SIX TIMES in the 1990s-the ONLY DRIVER to ever win six of the SAME million $ races in any one decade.

19) John drove historys first TWO sub 1:50 females. Armbro Romance 1:49.4 and Jays Table 1:49.3 both in 1998.

20) In 1995-John became the ONLY driver in the same year to win the Meadowlands Pace, the North America Cup the Hambletonian and the Little Brown Jug-ALL in the SAME year! (Davids Pass in the Pace-NA Cup, Tagliabue in the Hambo and Nicks Fantasy in the Jug)

21) John is the all-time leader in wins in the Pace, NA Cup-Hambo-Breeders Crown-Triple Crown and at the Meadowlands.

22) Did You Know??? That when the ONLY amateur won a million $ race-Mal Burroughs in the 1997 Hambo with Malabar Man-that John Campbell was NOT in the Race????????? (None of the three he had in the 1997 Hambo elims qualified)

23) Did You Know?? That John has not yet driven a Triple Crown winner-in all three legs? He would have, but an injury prevented him from completing the 2006 Triple Crown with Glidemaster in the Yonkers Trot (Brennan picked up the assignment)

24) John is the ONLY driver to win seven STRAIGHT drives in a single Meadowlands program-2/2/83.

25) Did You Know That?? John was NOT the regular driver on Mack Lobell early on (O'Donnell was), WAS the regular for Jennas Beach Boy to start his career (William Fahy took over)-and drove Moni Maker once (April 1997)??

(Bob Heyden for the Meadowlands)

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