Page 4 - May 2007 The Game

4 The Game, May 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
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FORT ERIE - Continued from Page 3
Armata has taken a long look at the purse structure and seems to have mixed feelings.
“The book itself with the fours, the fives and the 75s, the level of claiming, I have no problem with,” says Armata. “But when I look in a condition book and see an open allowance race, you know and I know that money is not going to go to Fort Erie. A couple of races that are in the book, they cater to certain people. An open allowance race, you could put a Stakes horse in there, so why even bother? Woodbine horses come down and they take the money. I have four or five horses that could go into the allowance, but I still don’t think it’s right.
Giliforte says the present situation is encouraging trainers to seek out more promising opportunities.
“Tom Agosti has left Fort Erie along with Mike Barkowski, who is a member of the HPBA board of directors,” says Giliforte. “He pulled all his horses out of Fort Erie to go to
Finger Lakes. They have better purses and a full slate of racing from April 14 to the first of December. Rod Cone is a guy who came to Fort Erie when things started to go well with the slots. He came from Edmonton. He just put his house up for sale and he moved back to Edmonton. He couldn’t survive on what they were doing. My brother Jason has moved completely to Finger Lakes. I’m splitting my string. I have ten stalls down there. They cut the days, then they cut the purses. There’s no way of going back and getting those days back. People can’t afford to run for the purses and only 84 days. I don’t think we have been protect- ed by the ORC, the HBPA or Nordic Gaming.”
McGirr, as well, worries about the future, not just for the horsemen, but the whole racetrack itself .
“The true story is that the slots are terribly underperforming,” he says solemnly. “We’ve got some serious issues about whether we’re going to survive or not.” - PG
Donald J. Campbell ( January 15, 1946-March 28, 2006)
Trainer Donald J. Campbell passed away on March 27 of colon cancer at the age of 61. There’s an obvious sadness losing a loved one at a relatively young age, but friends and family of Donnie were able to contribute uplifting and happy memories of a man who lived for working with the horses.
Jockeys’ agent Al Duffy has nothing but fond thoughts of his long-time friend and associate.
“Donnie was an excellent guy and a very honest man,” says Duffy. “He was very straight forward and a good friend. He would give you the shirt off his back. He was very well educated, a very smart guy. If he gave you his opinion, it was a good opinion. I’ve known him for 30-35 years. My brother Lloyd rode for his father Duke Campbell, then Donnie took over. Lloyd used to ride Gallant Mel. Lloyd broke Gallant Mel’s maiden. He beat Sky Classic by a nose and paid over $90 to win.”
Duffy was particularly impressed with Campbell’s uncanny ability to spot and choose a good horse.
“The horse would have to be absolutely correct for him to take it on,” says Duffy.
“Around January 15 this year, we looked at horses at Ocala. Donnie wasn’t well at the time. He looked at three horses for Bob Ross. I was just watching and listening. He looked at them pretty close. I really liked one a lot, but he didn’t like it. A real discriminating horse man. If he recommended buying a horse, there was a good chance it would do well.”
Campbell leaves two children, daughter Katie, 20 and son Donald, 21. Katie cherishes the memories of joining her dad at the track.
“I grew up as a kid at the racetrack. We were always there,” she says. “My favorite part was going into the winner’s
circle. It was his life. He didn’t know anything but the horses. It was my grandfather’s life and he passed it on. Dad always loved us. He always wanted the best for us and he always was there to give us stories of wisdom and to set a good example.”
Both of Campbell’s children talk warmly of their father’s affection for Florida.
“He loved it in Florida. That was his thing,” says Donnie Jr. with a small laugh in his voice.” He thought he had the whole system beat being in Canada during the summer and fall, but spending winters in Florida and being able to work the year round without having to deal with Canadian winters.”
“He was happiest in Florida,” adds Katie. “Even though he was sick, he was really determined to go back there. No one could stop him from getting back there one more time.”
Daily Racing Form attributes 741 winners to trainer Donnie J. Campbell from 1976-2006. His last visit to the winner’s circle on December 3, 2006 was special for a couple of reasons. The winning horse was Arden Belle and it was jockey Matt Moore’s second lifetime win, both on Arden Belle. Moore was Campbell’s protégé.
“Donnie taught him everything,” says Duffy. “He worked his butt off for five years under Donnie Campbell. Matt was so close to Donnie.”
Arden Belle was a bit of a special project for Campbell as well.
“She got sore so he took the shoes off of her,” says Duffy. “And he worked her without shoes and she worked good and the longer he kept the shoes off, the better she trained. Matt was getting on her every day and said she went really good, so Donnie decided to run her with no shoes.”
When Arden Belle did win, she was one of the very few shoeless horses to win
at Woodbine.
The younger Donnie recalls another
win that thrilled his father.
“He had a horse named Boisterous
who beat the Eclipse winner one time in Tampa Bay.”
Campbell is referring to the B.C. Super Stakes for $45,000 on January 28, 1995. The Donnie Campbell trained Boisterous won the seven furlong race, beating Mr. Tooth and Not Surprising who would go on to be the Eclipse Sprint Champion that year.
Donnie Jr. fondly remembers his father’s final days.
“The one thing I’ll never forget is he loved to travel,” says Campbell Jr. “If there was nothing to do, he’d just get in the car and drive. In the last days, I became the driver we drove everywhere in Florida, all around Tampa Bay. We checked out the beaches. He was given two to four weeks in January and he lasted almost to April”
“The end result was inevitable,” says Katie. “At least we had the chance to say what we wanted to say to him and for him to say what he wanted to say to us. I just loved him and I’m going to miss him.”
The Donnie Campbell Trained Arden Belle at Fort Erie
Malakoff disqualification upheld
The appeal by Stronach Stable and trainer Brian Lynch, has been denied in the case of the disqualification of their horse Malakoff, who finished first in the 2006 Prince of Wales. Malakoff was relegated to fifth by disqualification,thus making Shillelagh Slew the winner.
The official ORC ruling was released mid-April, which finally
confirmed Shillelagh Slew, ridden by jockey Dino Luciani, as the official winner of the 2006 Prince of Wales.
Shillelagh Slew, owned by David James, trained by Michael De Paulo, was voted Canada’s Champion 3-year-old despite the delay in the final decision of the Classic race.
The rider of Malakoff, Todd Kabel, who had also appealed his three day suspension resulting from the race, was denied his appeal and served his suspension April 27 to April 29.