Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Hambletonian One of most Successful Ever!

Monday, August 7, 2006

The pool for Saturday’s Hambletonian was $1,288,727---including foreign wagers---a record for the final heat of the Hambletonian.

The 81st Hambletonian kicked off a great weekend of racing in New Jersey as more than 70,000 fans filled the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park and total wagering reached nearly $20 million.

"It's been an extraordinary weekend for racing in New Jersey with the Hambletonian [Saturday] and I have to thank the horsemen and the fans for making it all possible,” said Dennis Dowd, the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority’s senior vice president for racing. “Anytime 70,000 people show up to watch racing you know you've created great events that generate excitement not only statewide, but nationwide, and will continue for many years."

This year’s Hambletonian, the 26th edition since the race was moved to the Meadowlands in 1981, drew 29,531 who wagered $2.7 million toward a total handle of $8,096,924, the third highest in the history of the race – and the harness racing industry.

The $1.5 million Hambletonian, which is the first leg of the trotting Triple Crown that also includes the Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot, provided a showcase for the sport’s most successful driver, John Campbell, and a trainer, Blair Burgess, who has made the most of his Hambletonian starts – two wins in two tries.

Campbell posted an unprecedented sixth Hambletonian victory with Glidemaster. The 51-year-old, who has now won 22 million-dollar races, had previously hoisted the Hambletonian trophy in 1987 with Mack Lobell, 1988 with Armbro Goal, 1990 with Harmonious, 1995 with Tagliabue and 1998 with Muscles Yankee. Only four drivers have won the race four times – Ben White, Bill Haughton, Stanley Dancer and Mike Lachance. Campbell had last won a million-dollar race in 2002 with Mach Three, his unmatched seventh victory in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace.

“It’s always been fun,” said the native of Ailsa Craig, Ontario who has called New Jersey home for more than 25 years and tops all drivers with more than $238 million in career earnings. “It sure beats working for a living. Obviously, I’ve gotten some better opportunities this year, and we’ve been able to advantage of those. This is the ultimate; this is what we all strive for in this game, to be in this race and get to where we’re standing here today.”

Glidemaster, who had overcome a foot injury the previous week, went on to set a stakes record with his mile in 1:51.1.

“Blair [Burgess] and [his wife] Karin have done a tremendous job,” Campbell said, referring to the trainer and caretaker of the Yankee Glide colt. “It’s just amazing what he went through. He had a nail in his foot. They weren’t sure if he was going to be able to race last week. We got through last week [the eliminations]. They had him at the top of his game. That’s really difficult to do. Besides the soreness and the stress factor, to get a horse back at this level and set a track record, all the credit goes to Karin and Blair.”

Burgess, 44, had previously sent only one other starter to the Hambletonian Final and won in 2003 with Amigo Hall. Campbell had qualified Amigo Hall for the Hambletonian and opted off to drive the favorite, Power To Charm. Instead longshot Amigo Hall won with Mike Lachance as the 27-1 longest priced winner in Hambletonian history.

Burgess’ remarkable string in million-dollar stakes at the Meadowlands also includes five starters in the Meadowlands Pace, all of whom have finished in-the-money, including a pair of winners – Frugal Gourmet in 1987 and Real Desire in 2001.

“It feels as good this time as it did the last time,” Burgess said of winning his second Hambletonian trophy. “There’s no more fun than this race.”

Glidemaster is owned by Robert Burgess [Blair’s father], Karin Olsson-Burgess [Blair’s wife], Marsha Cohen of Asbury, New Jersey and Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky, which bred the son of Yankee Glide – Cressida Hanover. Glidemaster has a career record of six wins and five seconds from 12 starts and earnings of $916,782.

“He has the American-National at Balmoral [next on his schedule], but he was pretty good,” Burgess noted. “I earned a rest, and he might have earned a rest, too. We might take a month off [with Glidemaster] and get him ready for Mohawk. We go up to Maine [for vacation] and then head home [Milton, Ontario].”