Heath Campbell wins five at Bangor Raceway

Bangor, Maine – A perennial kingpin at Bangor Raceway who is well accustomed to the limelight, harness racing driver Heath Campbell has been pretty much relegated to below the fold coverage in Queen City racing news this season. But on Sunday (7-16), as the Campbell magic reappeared in full force, the newsroom found it necessary to dust off the bold 48 point type set as the headlines exclaimed, “HEATH CAMPBELL WINS FIVE!”

Heath’s hefty haul began in a $13,971 Maine Sire Stakes event which attracted a scant field of two state-bred, freshman colts. Campbell steadied his charge, Chipper Dale (Shake It Off Lindy – Bibbidiboo), behind last week’s walkover winner, Carrabassett (Mark Athearn) in a delightful promenade around the oval before pouncing to engage his slightly more experienced foe around the final turn.

Facing firm pressure, Carrabassett rolled off stride in mid-stretch while Chipper Dale persevered in his very first lifetime start, extending gamely to a 6-1/2 length margin timed in 2:08.4.

Trained by Valerie Grondin for owner/breeder Lynn-Marie Plouffe, Chipper Dale follows in the tradition of his accomplished dam, Bibbidiboo, who won the 2014 and 2015 Maine Sire Stakes championships, while also under the tutelage of noted colt developers, Heath Campbell and Valerie Grondin.

The Grondin roster continued to roar on Sunday as Heath Campbell rolled victoriously with Pembroke Legacy (1:57.3-$9.80), who took full advantage of a strategic drop in class to win for the first time this season; Pembroke Ali (1:57-$14.20), another class-dropper who gamely charged first over into a brisk :28.1 third-panel to claim her 15th career score; and Mocha On The Rocks (1:56.4-$2.80) who posted the fastest win time of the day while claiming his third consecutive victory.

Campbell concluded his five win tour de force in pretty bold fashion, steering Rolandpeg (2:01-$4.40) from last to first in a dramatic burst of speed at the half, never looking back en route to a 3-1/4 length jiggy-jog.

Campbell’s five wins propelled him into fourth place on the Bangor leaderboard with 29 seasonal scores, just five wins behind current pacesetter, Dan Deslandes.

Grondin’s four training wins moved her roster into second place in the Bangor standings with 15 seasonal victories, 19 wins behind the imposing tally posted by season-long standard bearer, Jeff Deslandes.

Bangor Raceway will present live harness racing on Wednesday (7-19) at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) and at 12:15 p.m. on Friday (7-21) this week. The closing day of the summer meeting at Bangor is slated for Wednesday (7-26) with a 3:00 p.m. Post time.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway