Looking at the lifetime statistics and past performances of Marc Campbell as a driver, he doesn't drive much during the month of March and he doesn't all that often in the U.S.
Thus, when the multiple O'Brien Award winner makes a stateside appearance, it raises an eyebrow and prompts the question: what's Marc Campbell doing driving at Saratoga Casino Hotel?
Heading into 2024, Campbell — a winner of more than 3,100 races in his more than two decades of competition — last drove during the month of March in 2009. And it took the National Driving Championship at Fraser Downs to make that happen. That single card marked his only career appearance as a driver for that month.
As for stateside drives, Campbell last competed south of the border during Miami Valley Raceway's driving challenge in January of 2018. His eight drives there and a trio of drives at Bangor Raceway in July 2016 comprised his catalogue at American racetracks.
The time was right, according to Campbell, to spring back into action. And that action took place from March 9-11 at Saratoga.
"You know, the weather is going to hopefully change, you're training some horses down and getting them closer to race. You're starting to get that that edge back for sure," Campbell told Trot Insider regarding his decision to take a weekend away to catch-drive. "I needed a break. I needed a little bit of a different pace, a different feel. The little break was really good."
There's an element of timing that accompanies said itch to return to the racebike, and that element is one of maturity. Not Marc's, mind you: his four kids.
"Landon pretty well ran the barn operation while we were gone. Ally helped him a lot, too, with the animals and the pets while trying to keep their sports schedules. The younger two [Nate and Rayah] we farmed off to some relatives... but for the most part, they were happy to see us go," said Campbell with a smile.
Mother Nature and health issues with a longtime family pet nearly derailed the trip.
"I was pretty close to just calling it off, and Landon said, 'You know, it would hurt me more if you didn't go and if you just stayed home,'" Campbell noted before his Saratoga drives. "He threw me a text last night that said, 'I can handle this. I got this, you guys.'"
That's not just bravado or blind confidence from a 16-year-old, either.
"I got a nice text from one of our longtime older owners," mentioned Campbell during his time away. "He's like, 'I was at the barn this morning. Big crew on, very organized, very efficient. I was very impressed and very happy.' I mean, that's great to hear."
Over the course of the weekend at Saratoga, Campbell was listed on 10 horses. He put together a 1-3-2 summary from his appearances over the three cards.
"It went pretty good. I mean, we had some shots and the ones that were supposed to race well raced well. And I had a lot of fun. I was nervous that day, a good nervous... I'm typically kind of a shy guy — until I get to know you — so I was kind of out of my element to go and meet some people and kind of get to know a couple new guys and girls, and it did work out."
His victory came courtesy Matticulous GB, a horse he knew previously after a pair of qualifying efforts last October at Red Shores Charlottetown. Now nine, the former Preferred class competitor at Woodbine Mohawk Park was racing for trainer James McAssey in New York but was claimed out of his March 9 appearance.
"A few of them came from P.E.I. or the Maritimes and I've trained them or we have been the last couple years. James bought them from us and, you know, we kind of just kept in contact with them since then. And you know, we just kind of planned a little trip.
"It's always cool to come see other people do things and see different places and the opportunity arose so we took a stab at it."
Once Campbell's weekend in the Empire State concluded, he and wife Natasha headed back home to concentrate on preparing their stable for the upcoming season, set to commence on Saturday, May 4. But that doesn't mean he's back on Canadian soil permanently.
"I have a commitment to my owners to be here and we're gonna be here for a bit. But, you know, it's just good to get to know people and it's good to leave that door kind of half open if you need it to be. Our kids are getting older so it would be easier to pick up and go somewhere if need be. It's kind of about job security with me.
"I think it was good to get to go somewhere different. You get stale. I think everybody can get stale at what they're doing. You know, I think I might have had a little bit of that and I liked [the trip to drive at Saratoga]. I enjoyed it. I'm not opening the door wide open but we're not shutting it closed either."
(Standardbred Canada)