Jesse Campbell won his 2000th career race on Monday at Woodbine when he guided Queen’s Plate prospect Sweet Grass Creek to an impressive maiden score in the day’s fourth race.
An emotional Campbell was moved by the milestone victory.
“It’s been a long time coming. There was a time I didn’t think I’d get there,” said Campbell. “It’s been a lot of trips around the track and it means a lot for it to happen here at Woodbine. It’s been a special chapter of my career coming here.”
Campbell, a 37-year-old native of Twinsburg, Ohio, moved his tack from Woodbine to Illinois for the 2011 racing season and quickly became one of Woodbine’s top riders. He stamped his name into Canadian racing history in 2013 with a memorable front-running score in the $1-million Queen’s Plate aboard Midnight Aria.
Campbell’s wife Allyson and young daughter Madison were on hand to celebrate the special victory that means so much a man from a family that has put a great deal of time and energy into the sport of horse racing. The son of trainer Mike Campbell and twin brother of fellow jockey Joel Campbell, Jesse and Joel learned to ride on their grandparents’ horse farm in northern Wisconsin. At 17, Campbell won his first career race at Arlington Park on July 20, 1995 aboard Apostle Island, a horse trained by his father and bred by his grandfather.
“My dad’s at Timonium at the sale today and I know he’s watching,” said Campbell. “I get emotional. We’re four generations in this game. My family has worked hard in this business and I’ve been very lucky.”
Campbell, currently fourth in the rider standings at Woodbine, worked hard to earn his 2000th win.
Guiding Sweet Grass Creek from the outside post in a field of 12 Ontario-sired maidens, Campbell stalked the early pace of Don’t Worry in the 1 1/16-miles route before taking command through the far turn. The favoured Entwistle loomed large at the top of the lane, but a determined Sweet Grass Creek stayed on strong to prevail by 3 1/4-lengths under Campbell’s encouragement.
Sweet Grass Creek, a Gustav Schickedanz homebred son of Wando trained by Mike Keogh, paid $16.20 to win.
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