Driver Brandon Campbell entered Tuesday’s card of racing at Century Downs just one victory shy of 2,000 wins, and he didn’t waste any time taking care of business.
Campbell hustled Tiempo Hanover to the lead in the $8,100 Open Pace and the gelding successfully whacked out fractions of :27.1, :54.3 and 1:22.3 before using a :29.2 final frame to post the win in 1:52. It was 1-1/2 lengths back to runner-up Armycaptin Hanover, with Dontpokethedragon finishing third.
Campbell trains the seven-year-old son of Western Ideal-Tempest Blue Chip for Alberta partners Jodi Loftus, Dana Shore and Raymond Henry. The victory was his fourth of the season and the 19th of his career. He’s quickly closing in on $180,000 in lifetime earnings.
As for Campbell, the win goes down as a memorable milestone for the reinsman who has piled up 56 wins so far this season while potting over $300,000 in earnings. To date, he’s driven winners of close to $12.5 million in earnings.
Mrs Suhwiggins was the victim of a serious shuffle in the late stages of the $8,100 Fillies & Mares Open Pace, but Michael Hennessy found room for the favourite and stormed home to win by a narrow margin in 1:55.1.
Hennessy got away second with the Michael Campbell trainee while Outlaw Fireball shot to the top and carved out fractions of :27 and :56.2. Chase The Ace brushed to the top in the third quarter and had the field chasing her past the three-quarter pole in 1:25. Mrs Suhwiggins, in the meantime, got shuffled all the way back to seventh at the rail as the field headed into the final quarter of the contest.
The mare managed to find racetrack in the final frame and her :29-second kicker earned her the neck decision over Chase The Ace. Tajmeallover rounded out the Trifecta ticket in the eight-mare affair.
It was the third win of the season and the 20th lifetime tally for the five-year-old daughter of Custard The Dragon-Michelles Fury. J J J Stables of Prince George, BC owns the career winner of $278,953.
Michael Campbell celebrated a milestone of his own when he nabbed his first-ever driving victory behind Dominate Dragon – a pacer he also owns and trains.
The four-year-old son of Custard The Dragon-Buck Stops Here came first over for Campbell and cleared to the front going to the three-quarter pole. He opened up a comfortable lead late in the mile, and then held on to win by three-quarters of a length.
Campbell, who was making his 15th driving appearance, is in his second year as a trainer. The Aidrie, Alberta horseman has racked up 73 training wins for purse earnings in excess of $580,000.
It turned out to be a productive day at the office for trainer Nathan Sobey who celebrated a three-win performance with horses from his outfit.
Retros Mystery (1:54) got the ball rolling for the barn with his score in Race 5 over stablemate Freedoms Fellow, and Sobey students then swept the Late Double winning Races 10 and 11 with Sometime Somewhere (1:55.1) and Uchasemikissm (1:56).
Sobey has put up terrific overall numbers this season going 23-for-81 for a UTR of .447. His barn has banked close to $140,000 this season and more than $1.1 million to date.
To view results for Tuesday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Century Downs.
Good job Brandon, keep up the
Good job Brandon, keep up the good work, can't wait to see you back in Ontario.