Campbell's Heroics Cap Great Season

SCARBOROUGH (NEWS CENTER) -- New England's winningest driver attracts attention to another outstanding campaign with an heroic effort at Scarboro Downs.

Drew Campbell has won 335 races this season and collected his share of almost one million dollars in purses.  However, his most talked about race was a loss.

That came on October 23 when Campbell was driving Goodgirlgonebad.

Just after the start of the race, an accident occured behind him and to the outside.  Sids Drama tossed Kevin Pillsbury to the track.   Sid's Dramagot up and ran after the pack without a driver in the sulky.

"Its a scary situation," says Campbell. "The horse is scared and he can usually feel the reins hitting down around his legs."

The race went on with the other drivers alerted by a light which is turned on.

Campbell's horse was in fourth place at the three-eights mark when he went off stride.  Campbell took the horse named Goodgirlgonebad to the outside.  Another driver, Wally Watson went past on the inside and shouted that there was a horse loose on the raceway.

Campbell, now out of contention, took a look back and saw Sids Drama rushing up.  Campbell knew the horse and decided to try to catch it-literally.

Campbell urged his horse forward and eased it to the rail just in front of Sids Drama. He had driven Sids in the three year old Stakes races and knew it was a gentle horse.  Driving the hard to manage Goodgirlgonebad with his left hand, Campbell reached out and grabbed Sids Drama's bit.  He then teamed both horses to the finish line where grooms were waiting to relieve him of Sids Drama.

"I could have lt the horse run around and destroy something or give it a try.  If it didn't work, I would have abandoned it pretty quick," said the popular driver.  "I wouldn't have tried to keep doing it, but it was working out pretty good, so I ended up managing it."

Campbell has managed a wonderful season.  He is first in wins in New England and eighteenth in the nation.  With the Scarboro Downs racing season continuing until the end of the year, he will easily eclipse the one million dollar mark in purses for the first time.