Hall Of Famer Posts Win

Four months after breaking his leg in a racing accident, Hall of Famer John Campbell made a victorious return to the races capturing the eighth race, a $10,250 conditioned pace, on Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.

In his second of two drives on the card, Campbell guided Big Stack, who he co-owns with John Fielding, to victory by a neck in 1:54. He finished sixth with Hez Striking in the seventh race.

“It feels good,” Campbell said. “Actually, I started training 10 days ago at the farm, and I knew I would come back quick. It felt so good after the first day; I was looking forward to coming back. I was very happy with qualifiers on Thursday and I am quite pleased with today. It felt the same [driving], remarkably. I am grateful it comes back quickly. It is going to take a few races to get what comes naturally back and reading races properly, but it will come back fast.”

The leading money winner in the sport with more than $240 million, Campbell fractured his left leg in an elimination for the Breeders Crown 3-Year-Old Colt Pace on October 21, 2006 at Toronto’s Woodbine Racecourse.

This is the second time in three years that Campbell, who will turn 52 on April 8, has battled his way back from a major injury. In 2003, he fractured an elbow in a racing accident and was forced to the sidelines for several months that year and again in 2004.

After a lukewarm season in 2005, Campbell experienced a rebirth in 2006, for which he was named the U.S. Harness Writers Association’s Driver of the Year. He finished fifth in the Meadowlands’ January-August driver standings with 133 victories and collected his sixth Hambletonian trophy with 2006 Horse of the Year Glidemaster.

At the time of his accident last October, Campbell was enjoying his best year since 2002 and had already amassed 183 wins and $8.8 million in earnings for the year.

“I’m hoping to start back [full-time] a week from Friday [April 6], and race that weekend,” he said after qualifiers on March 29. “I’m ready to go full-card. I’ve been training down at the farm and everything’s going well. The workload didn’t bother me at all down there. [My leg] feels great in the bike. I have no problems with it at all.” (Meadowlands)

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