by Brian J. Mazurek,
For Buffalo Raceway
HAMBURG,N.Y. --- 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 over 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 aboard
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.
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
over $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
4th with a 1:55.3 time over the half-time track. Buffalo Raceway's standard is
1:59 for 3-year-old fillies set by Glowngold
in 2014.
She also won impressively in the $248,275 Empire Breeders
Crown on June 21 at Vernon Downs in 1:52.1. Barn Doll 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 5-for-6 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 snow cones for the kids along with crafts and a
bounce house. The track side grill will also be open.
For more information including upcoming promotions, the
latest news, results and race replays, go to www.buffaloraceway.com
