Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

John Campbell Returns to his Winning Ways

March 29, 2007

CampbellReturns

John Campbell steers a trotter at The Big M Thursday morning.

Four months after breaking his leg in a racing accident, Hall of Famer John Campbell was back in the sulky on Thursday morning at the Meadowlands

Campbell drove in three of the morning's qualifying races and is listed to make his first pari-mutuel appearance since October 2006 behind Hez Striking in the $50,000 Su Mac Lad on Sunday afternoon.

The leading money winner in the sport with more than $240 million, Campbell fractured his left leg in an elimination race for the Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Pace on October 21, 2006 at Toronto's Woodbine Racecourse.

This is the second time in three years that Campbell, who will turn 52 on April 8, has battled his way back from a major injury. In 2003, he fractured an elbow in a racing accident and was forced to the sidelines for several months that year and again in 2004. After a lukewarm season in 2005, Campbell experienced a rebirth in 2006, for which he was named the U.S. Harness Writers Association's Driver of the Year. He finished fifth in the Meadowlands' January-August driver standings with 133 victories and collected his sixth Hambletonian trophy with 2006 Horse of the Year Glidemaster.

At the time of his accident last October, Campbell was enjoying his best year since 2002 and had already amassed 183 wins and $8.8 million in earnings for the year.