John Campbell reflects on his Hambletonian win
August 7, 2006,by Tim Bojarski for the USTA
In his 24th consecutive start in the sport’s most prestigious race, John Campbell won the 81st edition of Hambletonian win with Glidemaster. It was a record sixth Hambo win for him and a stakes record time for Glidemaster. I spoke with John on Sunday night to recap the performance of Saturday afternoon.
John, I never noticed until I watched the replay that you raced the whole mile on the outside. Did you plan on that?
Lisa Photo
Trainer Blair Burgess, left, and driver John Campbell hold the Hambletonian trophy.
Yes, he was parked the whole mile. I was pretty sure going into the race that he would be parked the whole mile. That’s something I wasn’t that concerned with it because I was prepared for it. The fact that he was in the outer flow could have been a little rough. But the fact that he had to be parked the whole mile wasn’t an issue for me because I expected it.
You were third over at the half in 54.3. Were you happy with the fractions and your positioning at that point?
Yes, I was. I was following who I thought was the horse to beat, Mr Pine Chip, and the outer flow was moving up. If something had happened and the outer flow stalled, it would have been an advantage for the leader and the horses on the inside. But with the fractions in 54.3, I thought that was just enough. It was more important that the outer flow kept moving up.
Before you hit the top of the stretch you were already fanning three wide behind Mr Pine Chip.
I tried to stay on Brian’s back as long as I could, but as soon as I came off the turn I tipped three wide. I was in no hurry to do it because I knew Brian’s horse was gapping out as soon as he came off the turn and I didn’t want to be three wide any earlier than I had to in that turn.
Did you have any concerns about Chocolatier catching you once you took the lead?
No, not at that point. When my horse made the front, he felt very strong. He gave me that acceleration and kept going right to the wire and I knew no one would catch him from behind at that point.
It looked to me like you pretty much line drove him down the stretch. Did you get after him at all?
I just tapped him a little bit, just put the whip on his flank to keep his attention. When I did ask him, he was very willing and it took very little urging, I just hollered at him. He wears a pull down bridle with plugs and, when I pulled those out and the blinds came down, he knew what he was supposed to do. It didn’t take much urging to get him there. He was very willing to go on.
You mentioned how good Blair Burgess had Glidemaster for this race after his foot incident two weeks ago. But did you think he had a stake record in him?
I didn’t really think about time. At the Meadowlands it’s just unbelievable how fast they go and the drivers don’t think about times. I didn’t even consider what the final time would be; I was more concerned with the competition. After the elimination race, I thought, ‘He got through that week.’ If Blair could get him a little sounder, we would be very competitive. It turned out to be that he was.
How did he seem after the race? Was there any soreness in the foot?
No, it wasn’t bothering him at all. He trotted right through the wire, pulled up and came back sound. He just couldn’t have been any better. And going into the race I knew that Blair was really confident with the way he warmed up and the week he had. When I saw that from Blair, it gave me a lot of confidence. Because Blair, if anything, will err on the side of caution. When I saw he was so up and happy with the week and how he [Glidemaster] was traveling, that gave me a lot of confidence going into the race.
What will his next start be?
I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Blair about that. I have no idea what his plans are.
This was your sixthh Hambletonian win and your 24th consecutive appearance, both of which are records. How gratifying was that for you?
Well, like I’ve said many times, this is what everyone in our sport wants to do—get to the Hambletonian. There is no race in the sport like it. It’s a thrill every time you get a chance to be a part of it. I’ve never taken it for granted. Just being in the race, I know, is very special. When you’re fortunate enough to win, it’s the ultimate of what we have to offer in standardbred racing. It’s an indescribable feeling. There’s satisfaction—you are happy for the people involved who brought a horse like this and made it to the top of the mountain, so to speak.
Thank you for your time, John.
At the conclusion of Saturday’s racing, John Campbell moved into third place for total earnings in 2006 with $ 5,952,908. That includes 1190 starts with 142 wins, 140 seconds, and 149 thirds giving him a UDR of .226.