“I Can’t Keep Putting Myself Through This"

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Published: June 2, 2011 12:59 pm EDT

Hall of Fame driver John Campbell said this morning that he is back at his New Jersey home after spending three days at a Philadelphia-area hospital as a result of suffering a broken right shoulder and right knee in a Memorial Day race accident at Chester Racetrack

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While in discussion with harnessracing.com Campbell said that he will wait on word from his local doctor in regard to his future treatment in his recovery. “I think this is just a time thing,” he said. “We’re getting all my films and tests to my orthopedic doctor today and he is going to look at it and make an evaluation. But I really don’t anticipate anything different than the diagnosis done by the Chester hospital, which is a very good hospital.”

The spill occurred in a division of the Pennsylvania Stallion Series for three-year-old trotting colts when the David Miller-driven Somedancer Hanover, who was sitting in the three hole approaching the three quarters, came up on the back of the pocket-sitting Ax Man and driver George Brennan and fell to the track. That triggered a chain reaction that also involved the Campbell-driven Tritech and the Brad Provost-driven Bravo.

Miller continued to drive the remainder of the program while Provost was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure and then released. Campbell said he was able to stand and walk to the ambulance, but he knew he was seriously hurt.

“I stood up and walked and since I was pretty sore I sat down,” said Campbell. “I did walk to the ambulance but that was shaky and once I got to the ambulance that was it.

“It’s incredibly bad luck to have horses just fall in front of you and I’ve had two of them in about a month.”

The 56-year-old Campbell, who has missed considerable time in recent years due to injuries suffered in race accidents, admits this latest incident has left him pondering retirement. This was actually the second time in just over a month Campbell was dumped to the track, the first coming in April at Pocono Downs when he was able to escape unscathed.

“When something like this happens you certainly have to think about it,” Campbell answered when asked about the possibility of ending his career with his current 10,417 wins and an all-time record high $278,978,761 in purse earnings. “I can’t keep putting myself through this. I haven’t made any definitive plans but it certainly does go through your mind when something like this happens.”

(Harnessracing.com)

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