Brandon Campbell drove five winners, including three from his own stable, on the Friday, Aug. 2 card at Century Downs to dominate the day.
Campbell set the tone for the afternoon winning the first three races on the 11-race program, starting with his own leasee, the six-year-old pacing gelding Agricola ($8.60), who crossed to command at the outset and held off 3-5 favourite Handsome Dan from the pocket by a nose in a career-best 1:54.2 effort.
It was another close call in the second race but Campbell got the John Chappell-trained five-year-old gelding Sammy Santana ($7) up the inside to defeat the 7-5 front-striding favourite, Restros Mystery, and the first-over challenger, Midnight Mover, in a photo finish in 1:55.1.
In the next race, Campbell sent his homebred three-year-old filly Ima Fist Fight ($3.50), a daughter of Betterthancheddar out of the As Promised mare Easterpromise, wire-to-wire to deliver as the 3-4 favourite by nearly four lengths in a new mark of 1:57.1.
Campbell completed his training triple with the five-year-old Metaki ($3.10) repeating in the $11,000 mid-card featured pace for $20,000 claiming mares. The 1-2 favourite led a compact field of four all the way for the 1:56.3 victory by one length over late-closing Roulette Hanover.
The Calgary, Alta. horseman later capped off his five-win Friday in the 10th race, sending the eight-year-old mare Electric Amadeus ($3) first-over down the backside to a 1:54.2 six-length triumph as the 1-2 bettors' choice for trainer Brinsley Brooking-Lutz. The duo have connected for three wins in a row.
Campbell now has 37 wins to rank second in the 2024 trainer standings at Century Downs, just one off leader Kelly Hoerdt, and currently sits third in the driver standings with 49 wins at the meet behind Dave Kelly (56) and leader Mike Hennessy (69).
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Downs.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Metaki and trainer/driver Brandon Campbell winning on Aug. 2)