John Campbell to drive Thursday at Big M

John Campbell's record streak of 28 consecutive years with drives in the Hambletonian may not be over after all. Campbell has been on the sidelines since suffering a broken collarbone, shoulder and knee and cracked ribs in a Memorial Day accident at Harrah's Chester, and having been on crutches as recently as just a few weeks ago it appeared that a date for his return to the sulky--if at all--was in question. Campbell has driven in the Hambletonian eliminations every year since 1983 and has missed just two finals over that span.

 

Campbell confirmed to harnessracing.com early Wednesday evening a story written by Debbie Little of the New York Post that he plans on driving in some qualifiers Thursday morning at the Meadowlands to see how he feels being back in the sulky. Campbell said he then hopes to drive Live Jazz, a 3-year-old colt is he is co-owner of with a group that includes trainer Chuck Sylvester, from post nine in the second of two Hambletonian eliminations Saturday afternoon at the Meadowlands. Campbell has won a record six Hambletonians, including two with Sylvester: Muscles Yankee (1998) and Mack Lobell (1987)

 

"I feel pretty good right now and I am going to qualify some horses (Thursday)," Campbell told harnessracing.com. "As long as everything goes well, then the plan is to drive Live Jazz on Saturday."

 

Campbell added he is still not made any decision regarding his long-term future. "I’m just coming back because I have a chance to race my own horse in the Hambletonian and I’ll take things as they come from there," he told Little. "But I’m not going back to work full-time right now. This is just a unique opportunity to race my own horse in the Hambletonian.”

 

To read Little's entire New York Post story, please Click here.