by Michael Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, Maine — Drew Campbell posted the 2,000th driving win of his 19-year career at Scarborough Downs on Thursday (August 21) as he willed his own pacer, CC Bag A Luck, across the finish line.

Drew Campbell secured his 2,000th career driving win on Thursday with CC Bag A Luck.

Campbell, the defending 2007 dash-winner at the Downs, continues to lead all comers on the driver’s side of the ledger with 122 trips to the Scarborough winner’s circle thus far in 2008, and is currently engaged in a heated battle for supremacy in a state-wide contest with only a mere handful of wins separating him from Shawn Gray in their quest for supremacy on the Pine Tree State circuit.

Campbell, a 41-year-old resident of Scarborough, Maine, has been driving Standardbreds since 1989, having learned the trade from his late father Winston “Soupie” Campbell.

The Campbell Clan (Drew, Soupie and Drew’s brother Heath) have forged a long lasting impact on the state of Maine circuit with the trio accounting for 5,778 driving wins between them.

Drew’s driving career, in fact, began to blossom when he returned to Maine in 2001 to assist his father in the day-to-day operation of the family stable after the elder Campbell had been diagnosed with cancer. Drew continues to condition his string of ten horses in the very same barn that once housed his father’s roster — with his father’s stable signage still prominently displayed on the front barn door.

“It’s hard to imagine state of Maine racing without the Campbell connection,” said Scarborough Downs spokesperson Susan Higgins. “The Campbell family have always come to the forefront in the industry with Drew today continuing that tradition by starring in a series of local television commercials — ironically with CC Bag A Luck as his co-star.”

Campbell wasted little time working toward his next milestone — quickly securing the driving double on the Thursday program with Syntronic’s Z Tam.

Derek Davis photos

Current Closer become the latest Scarborough track record holder during Thursday’s Maine Breeders Stakes action.

In other news Thursday, Current Closer, with driver Mark Athearn, equaled an 11-year track record at Scarborough Downs with a 2:04.2 mile recorded in a $7,625 division of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes trotting program.

Trained by Maine Sports Hall of Fame member Donald Richards and owned by the partnership of Thomas Dillon and Walter Hight, the 2-year-old altered son of Current Cast-Celebrity Image matched the track standard for his age and sex set by Mic Mac Express (Ivan Davies) back in 1997.

Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes action resumes at Scarborough Downs on Saturday afternoon (August 23) as two $9,425 divisions of 2-year-old colt pacers will be featured at the seaside oval.

Scarborough Downs proudly features live harness racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. (EDT). The popular Sunday matinees feature a 1:30 p.m. post time.