Bangor, Maine … On a day when the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers were assessed 154 penalty minutes combined, harness racing driver Drew Campbell executed a faultless game plan on Wednesday (May 8) to score a classic hat trick at Bangor Raceway. And while the hockey players jointly occupied the penalty box for nearly the time it took Bangor to run its entire ten race program, it took Campbell less than six minutes to grab his share of glory over the drizzly Queen City oval.
Campbell scored a pair of wins for trainer Eric Bickmore, kicking off the mid-afternoon matinee with a pocket sitting journey behind Muscle Gene (Muscleprincetonian) in 2:00.1 paying $12.40 to win, pouncing to the wire 1-1/2 lengths the best, while securing the first win of the 2024 season for the six-year-old.
MUSCLE GENE REPLAY
The Bickmore barn revisited winner’s circle glory later in the program when Campbell steered Whatchagonnadoboo (Artspeak) in 1:59.2, paying $7.00 to win, through a determined gate-to-wire endeavor, securing the 24th career victory for the seven-year-old mare.
WHATCHAGONNADOBOO REPLAY
Campbell’s third win came from the lightning hot Mark Harris roster as he cajoled Axion Hanover (Betting Line) in 1:59.1, paying $10.60 to win, from off the pace to nip his brother’s (Heath Campbell) front running Bandolito Blaze by 3/4-length at the wire. The score was the third training win of the young meet for Harris who currently resides in a three-way tie for second spot in the Bangor conditioner rankings.
AXION HANOVER REPLAY
In other Bangor news, driver Shawn Thayer and trainer Karl Butterfield hooked up to claim two more joint victories on Wednesday, catapulting Thayer to the top of the drivers’ leaders board with five wins thus far this season while Butterfield leads all trainers with five conditioning wins from his roster.
Live harness racing is proudly featured at Bangor Raceway throughout the summer season every Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) with the Sunday morning matinees going to post bright and early at 11:00 a.m. Simulcast wagering is available daily in the grandstand facility.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video on Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races.
For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway