by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway

Hamburg, NY — Long time, no see.

That statement will be thrown out the window on Sunday afternoon (July 12) when Hall of Fame driver John Campbell makes an appearance at Buffalo Raceway for the first time in more than 20 years as he’ll drive in the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies.

The last time Campbell raced at Buffalo Raceway was back on July 5, 1992 when he drove in the $133,000 final of the Hopeful Stakes behind Giant Thrill. His last win at the Hamburg half-mile oval, located at the Erie County Fairgrounds, was on W R H on June 24, 1990, in an elimination race of the Hopeful Stakes.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

John Campbell will drive in the New York Sire Stakes on Sunday at Buffalo.

Campbell, who was elected into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 1990, has won 10,841 races in his career with purse earnings of almost $293 million. He has won the prestigious Hambletonian and the North America Cup six times apiece and has also taken the Little Brown Jug three times.

The 60-year-old Campbell is scheduled to steer Jewels In Hock and Dancewithme Chuck in the two New York Sire Stakes events and will drive Miss B’Ville J and Nunkeri in the Excelsior ‘A’ races.

Along with Campbell, several other top-name drivers will be in town including Andy Miller, Jim Morrill Jr. and former Western New York regulars Ray Schnittker and Jeff Gregory.

Along with a slew of great drivers, Barn Doll, a winner of more than $400,000 in earnings in just 15 career starts, looks to make it six straight victories in the first division of the Sire Stakes.

Barn Doll (Conway Hall-Headintheclouds) set the track record at Saratoga on June 4 with a 1:55.3 time over the half-mile track. Buffalo Raceway’s standard is 1:59 for 3-year-old fillies set by Glowngold in 2014.

Barn Doll also won impressively in the $248,275 Empire Breeders Stakes on June 21 at Vernon Downs in 1:52.1. She is co-owned locally by Steven and Nancy Pratt of Corfu, N.Y. and the Purple Haze Stables of Fairport, N.Y. Barn Doll is five-for-six in 2015 with $193,074 in the bank.

It’s also ‘Sunday Funday’ at Buffalo Raceway as the 13-race card gets underway at 1:05 p.m. There’s free cotton candy and sno cones for the kids along with crafts and a bounce house. The trackside grill will also be open.

For more information including upcoming promotions, the latest news, results and race replays, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.