by Laurent Sauve for The Quebec Jockey Club

Trois-Rivieres, QC — With just three weeks to go, the inaugural All-Star Drivers Tournament at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (June 5) is beginning to heat up and heading the list is Hall of Famer John Campbell and Quebec native Yannick Gingras.

Two of the all-time great drivers in the sport of harness racing, Campbell and Gingras bring two distinct styles of driving to the tournament.

“I have never driven at the Hippodrome 3R before,” said Campbell, “So I really look forward to this tournament. Competing against some of the best drivers in our sport will keep me on my toes. I’m not coming up there just to go around the track.”

Born in Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Campbell is the leading winner of all time in purses earned by the horses he has driven, approaching $300 million. His name is synonymous with harness racing and management at the Hippodrome 3R is honored to have him in the competition.

“The last time I was in Quebec,” Campbell explained, “was to compete in the Prix D’Ete at Blue Bonnets. It was such a great experience because they put such a tremendous show on every year.”

Campbell is the youngest driver ever inducted into the Hall of Fame at age 35 in 1990. Among his exploits he has won the Hambletonian six times, most recently in 2006. It is hard to find any major stakes event he has not won throughout his career. Just a few years back he scored his 10,000th career win.

Campbell is also the president of the Grand Circuit and was very pleased when the Hippodrome 3R revived the Prix D’Ete and has made it a Grand Circuit event.

“I was so impressed when Vincent Trudel (general manager at 3R) came to the race secretary’s meetings in 2013 and announced that 3R was bringing back the Prix D’Ete,” he said. “I won that race in 1992 with Direct Flight and that was very special. I really hope to have a drive in this year’s Prix D’Ete.”

USTA photo

Yannick Gingras and John Campbell eagerly await the All-Star Drivers Tournament at the Hippodrome 3R on Sunday (June 5).

Also in the driver’s tournament Sunday (June 5) is a very familiar and popular face at the Hippodrome 3R in Quebec native Gingras. Raised in Sorel, Gringras was born into harness racing, following in the footsteps of his father, Raymond.

“My special memorial of 3R,” he said. ““Is that of being a kid and the drive back and forth to the races at 3R with my dad. That drive was always so good, talking about the horses and driving races. It was also special that I got my first win as a professional driver at the Hippodrome 3R. That is definitely a race you never forget.”

Everyone is Quebec is proud of Gingras. With harness racing being a close knit group, many personally know the young man who began his career professional in 1998 and 15 years later is now on the top of the world.

After making the move to the USA, Gingras has become the most sought after driver in all of North America. His purse earnings with the horses he has driven currently stands at $1,756,863 million this year and this season he should be celebrating his 6,000th career victory. The two top trainers in harness racing, Ron Burke and Jimmy Takter use him regularly on their top horses, to the point that Gingras, at many crucial times, must choose between them with which horse to drive in a rich stakes race. It is a nice problem to have.

As for the upcoming driver’s tournament, Gingras most certainly has a leg up on Campbell, as he won the inaugural Fall Driver’s Tournament at 3R in 2013 in a romp, capturing three of the first four divisions, then adding two more win five of the eight races.

“I just love coming back to the 3R and to drive in front of my friends and family.” Gingras said. “I have won lots of big races in my career, but never in front of all my friends and family as was the case this year. As long as I have some good horses, I can win the tournament this year.”

Gingras may have “stacked the deck” for this year’s tournament in race fans, as he has made reservations for 36 people in the dining room for his mother, father and just a few friends.

“It will be so good to see everyone again.” Gingras explained, “Now with my kids in school and my busy race schedule all summer long, I have not had the chance to come back to 3R to see everyone. I am so grateful to the Hippodrone 3R for setting this tournament up.”

The last time Gingras was at 3R was in 2014 for the revival of the Prix D’Ete, which he won with the Jimmy Taker trained Sunfire Blue Chip. They had drawn the outside post eight but it was not a factor as Sunfire Blue Chip not only won the race, but rewrote the all-age track record with a 1:50.3 mile clocking. It was earlier on the race program that day, however, when Gingras won a race and was mobbed in the winner’s circle by family, friends and fans. So much so that he got permission to leave the winner’s circle to talk with them and sign autographs.

Obviously, when you have many of the world’s best drivers in the tournament, it is never a walk in the park to win. Especially when Campbell and Gingras will be driving against Trois-Rivieres native Daniel Dube, Tim Tetrick from the USA, Ontario stars Sylvain Filion and Jody Jamieson plus 3R leading reinsman Denis St-Pierre and Mario Charron.

All eight of the drivers will be at the track for a meet and greet with race fans Sunday (June 5) at 12:30 pm in the clubhouse area.

For more information, visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com