Let me preface my remarks by saying I have the utmost respect for John Campbell as a driver and now custodian of the Hambo. But recently he was recounting his six Hambo winners and dropped this tidbit about Harmonious:
It was just two years later when Campbell won the 1990 Hambletonian with Harmonious.
“He just raced in overnight races prior to the Hambletonian,” Campbell said. “Osvaldo Formia was training for Lindy Farms and I was under strict instruction in all of those overnights, ‘Don’t race him hard. Make sure he’s covered up, make sure he finishes strong.’ For a couple of those, he was a pretty big favorite and I thought we should be going forward and it was an absolute ‘no’ on that and they were pointing him to the Hambletonian.
“He just kept getting stronger and stronger in those overnight races and on Hambletonian Day he actually had to come first over in his elimination, but I didn’t have to use him hard until the end of the stretch and he gave me a real good run. Then, in the final, he got a good trip. He was second over right into the stretch and he won, but that was a horse that was pointed directly for the Hambletonian and it was a plan that paid off perfectly.
Recent example: Tuesday night at Mohawk marked the career debut of Tall Dark Lady. The homebred full sister to Tall Dark Stranger is trained by Gregg Mc Nair and driven by son Doug. TDL qualified in early July. Was entered in a GOLD stake for her career bow mid July but scratched sick. Now she shows up against maidens. Goes off 6-5 and floats into the 4 hole. Rather than pull first over, Doug sits and takes a shuffle. Finishes evenly under little urging.
It is simply part of racing. Bettors must read between the lines.
