An emotional Jesse Campbell could not finish his post-race interview following his win aboard CITY BOY in the Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes Oct. 12 at Woodbine. Holding his daughter Madison, Campbell had announced his retirement from riding only very recently and following the Oct. 14 races he will head back home to the Chicago and start a business with his wife Allyson.
Campbell took a hiatus towards the end of last season but returned in 2019.
Indeed, Campbell has been away from his family (including a couple of retired Woodbine racehorses his family enjoys in his backyard) off and on for several years, so getting back to family for the 42-year-old is at the top of his list.
Fellow jockey Eurico da Silva is also retiring this year because of family, although he will ride out the remainder of the Woodbine season.
The numbers for Campbell read as such – 18,308 mounts, 2,333 wins, 2,361 seconds and 2,372 thirds with his horses collecting $72,051,540. He can add to that today at Woodbine on his final card of racing.
Campbell is a very popular rider at Woodbine with a talent for front running horses and known as an aggressive rider. He’s leaving just before the new urging rules ‘experiment’ takes place this Friday to the end of the meeting where only underhand whipping is permitted.
From right, Mike Keogh, Lauri Kenny, City Boy, Jesse Campbell and Kevin Pasher – Woodbine photo
The City Boy win (his nickname is Johnny) has to be one of the most touching moments of the Woodbine season. His late co-owner Gus Schickedanz, a horseman and gentleman, left us this spring not long after he was presented with the E P Taylor Award of Merit. His legacy as an owner and breeder is set through his stars such as Langfuhr and Wando.
His trainer Mike Keogh, once an assistant to Roger Attfield and one of the true horsemen at Woodbine, has been battling cancer and keeping it at bay.
The wins have been infrequent for the Schickedanz stable in the last couple of years as the farm has scaled down, but seeing Keogh and Schickedanz’ longtime farm manager Lauri Kenny lead in City Boy was heart-melting. Don Howard also owns City Boy, a son of City Zip.
In the very next race, it was KEVIN ATTARD cheering into the lenses of cameras and planting a big kiss on the nose of his beautiful mare STARSHIP JUBILEE. Another incredible story. Claimed by Kevin through his dad Tino for $16,000 in Florida and stretched out in distance at Woodbine in turf races, the Florida bred by Indy Wind has been the Champion Turf Female in Canada two years straight (no doubt again this year with a chance for Horse of the Year as well?).
Kevin and his ownership partner Soli Mehta sold the mare last fall after the Keeneland November sale to Blue Heaven Farms’ Bonnie Baskin and Adam Corndorf and was kept on to trainer. Shrewd decision.
Saturday the mare won her first Grade 1, provided Kevin with his first Grade 1 and simply ran an amazing race to win the E.P. Taylor.
Wagering drops 23%
2019 – $7,534,281 for 12 Races average field size 9.34/race
2018 – $9,685,929 for 11 Races average field size 9.91/race
The numbers were not as exciting as the racing at Woodbine on International day. A sharp drop in wagering could be attributed to many scenarios from field size to the public battle waged by horse racing in North America.
What does not change are the wonderful stories and the deep passion that horse racing people have for their equines. That is what racing must continue to show.
More from Industry:
