Rookie driver Landon Campbell chased down his father, Marc Campbell, in the stretch to score his first career win in his debut drive on Saturday, May 9 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The 18-year-old Orwell, P.E.I. horseman guided Macho Phil ($12.30) to a pocket-riding victory in 1:59 from his own barn for owner Allie Campbell of Orwell.

“First start back off the qualifier, I just wanted to kind of give him an easy trip, let him come home,” Landon said of Macho Phil, who went winless in 19 starts in 2025. “That was all I was kind of hoping for, but the horse came back 20 times better than he did last year. He looked so much better, he felt so much better. You know, Allie (Campbell, Landon’s younger sister) did a really good job with him over the winter.”

Landon’s father, 16-time defending Charlottetown driving champion Marc Campbell, was driving heavily favoured Handsoffnosein in Saturday’s bout and cut out the fractions of :29, :59.3 and 1:30.3 in the $3,350 conditioned pace. The younger Campbell was content in the two-hole until angling out in the stretch, and Macho Phil fired home to catch Handsoffnosein to win by a quarter-length.

“I was just going through the motions, trying to treat it like another qualifier and not think about it too much," said Landon. "I just watched the replay there with mom and dad. It still doesn’t feel real. I told Dad when we were driving to the track ‘don’t give it to me. I want to earn it.' And he made me earn it. I'm still in shock.”

Landon Campbell, who has also won 123 races as a trainer, says the plans for his stable still involve his father doing the majority of the driving, with Landon looking for any driving opportunities available at both Island tracks this season. Landon said growing up in his O’Brien Award-winning father’s shadow has not been an easy task, but he takes it all in stride.

“Obviously yeah, it's a lot of pressure,” he said. “There's a lot of people watching you. I have people texting me from the States and Ontario. I had (five-time Driver of the Year) James MacDonald texting me tonight. Whenever you know there's that many people watching you, it's a lot of pressure. But I think I've gotten really good with my patience. We have 30-some horses here at the farm and working with two-year-olds all the time or three-year-olds and trying to figure them out, you have to have some patience and you have to be able to withstand some pressure.”

In other racing action, Blood Money ($2.60) delivered another commanding performance in the $6,250 Preferred Pace for his fifth straight victory, this time in 1:52.4 for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Ron Matheson and owner Dr. Mitchell Downey of Saint John, N.B. The 10-year-old son of Sweet Lou-Blood Diamond carved out :27.3, :56.3 and 1:25.4 fractions and cruised home to a 2-1/4-length score over Twin B Tuffenuff (Corey MacPherson). Nuttin But Finesse (Mike Downey) completed the triactor. Blood Money is now five-for-six on the year and 38-for-152 lifetime with $520,936 in earnings.

One Eight Hundred ($3.90) was also razor sharp in the seventh race as Barrieau sent the Matheson trainee directly to the lead, and the veteran pacer held off a late charge from Fast Louie (David Dowling) by a nose to win in 1:53.1 for owner Downey. Barrieau tripled on the evening as Woodmere Mahomes ($2.50) was a winner in 1:57 from his own barn.

Reggie The Fourth ($2.10) continued his strong form in the eighth race, wiring the field in 1:55 for driver Marc Campbell while giving Landon Campbell a training double.

Driver Paul Langille tripled on the card, winning with Louie The Great ($3.60) for trainer Les Waite in 1:55.4, Starship Glyde ($15.50) in a front-stepping 1:56.2 win for conditioner Earl Watts and Brookdale J Mac ($2.20) in 1:54 from the Phil Sizer barn.

The evening card also had a special presentation as Lee Drake, Red Shores Manager of Racing, Marketing & Sales, handed driver Corey MacPherson his Gold Cup and Saucer commemorative ring for his 2025 victory with Miki Shan N.

Live racing continues on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown.

To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.

(Red Shores)