JL Cruze goes out as a bridge to prior era
Hall of Fame driver John Campbell reflects on his earliest impressions of the now retired 14-year-old double millionaire.
by Brett Sturman
Much has transpired in racing since that first time JL Cruze stepped onto the track in June of 2013, and through it all the trotter that’s come to be known affectionately as “The King” has made it — with dignity — all the way to the mandated end of his harness racing career.
With the retirement of JL Cruze, so goes one of the last remaining links to a prior era of racing at The Meadowlands, including being one of the best and final horses associated with the all-time great driver, John Campbell, who himself retired in 2017.
Beginning with a 2:06.3-timed win in his first career start at Buffalo in a New York-bred Excelsior division in June 2013 and through most of his sophomore campaign in 2014, it would have been impossible to know what was to come shortly thereafter for JL Cruze. But the trajectory of his story changed entirely in the fall of that 2014 season when JL Cruze was purchased at sale in November for $37,000, at which point Eric Ell assumed training responsibilities that would never be relinquished for the remaining duration of the horse’s lengthy career.
As soon as the 2015 calendar began, JL Cruze — now with Ell training and Campbell driving — went to work and rode their success from nowhere all the way to Dan Patch divisional honors. It was a mile on Jan. 8 in a division of the Super Bowl winter series where JL Cruze burst onto the scene with a five-length win in 1:54.2.
Nearly 11 years since the start of those winter races, Campbell recalls those moments clearly.
“He started out in the wintertime at The Meadowlands and there were a couple of series they had back then that he was paid into, and he started out racing very well in those, but I wasn’t really thinking of anything beyond that, at that initial time,” Campbell said. “Andy Miller had a horse Opulent Yankee and they were the best two horses in both of those series [Super Bowl and Charles Singer], and I recall Opulent Yankee beat us once or twice in an earlier leg, but from there JL Cruze just kept getting better and better, and then he kind of dominated in that second series if I recall correctly.”
Campbell added with a laugh, “If I also recall, one of those nights was just completely, bitterly cold.”
JL Cruze went from winning the Super Bowl in 1:54.4 to winning the Singer in a new career-best time of 1:52.1, and records show that one of those Super Bowl wins came with an air temperature of 16 degrees Fahrenheit, validating that yes, Campbell did indeed recall correctly.
After winning those former series of Super Bowl and Charles Singer, JL Cruze won the Shiaway St Pat series at The Meadowlands, too, before winning his Bobby Weiss series at Pocono where he bested an old friend, Opulent Yankee. Once into June, JL Cruze was able to handle the massive steps up in class against the sport’s best trotters, and Campbell credits much of his success to the winter races.
“No matter who he raced, nothing really seemed to bother him, he just went out and did his work,” Campbell said. “He got stronger during those winter series and perhaps more confident too, but he definitely got stronger. You had to be a little careful using him too much early in the mile when he started those series or he’d get a little tired but as he got stronger it didn’t matter as much – he just continued to get better every single start all the way through the time he won in 1:49 and a piece.”
That mile referenced by Campbell was JL Cruze’s win of 1:49.4 over Resolve and Shake It Cerry in the $250,000 Graduate final, a race where JL Cruze became the first trotter to go sub-1:50 at The Meadowlands. That win came on the heels of beating the likes of Father Patrick (twice), Sebastian K and other top names from that time in immediate races prior.
“It’s very unusual to be able to [step up as fast as he did] – but I will say that I think those stepping stones where he was able to get his feet under him and win was instrumental in how he developed,” Campbell said. “Because I recall him to be a bigger, gangly horse, and I think he had trouble with the turns on the smaller track, and the big track kind of got him to stretch out and he was able to get around The Meadowlands turns better. In some of those earlier wins he wasn’t extended, and there’s nothing better for a horse than when they can win within themselves. And not only did he get more confidence in himself, but I got more confidence in him too. And then once the warmer weather came, he was just exceptionally good.”
From that Dan Patch winning season in 2015 through his 2020 season in which he won in a time of 1:50.2, JL Cruze was a Meadowlands mainstay where all seasonal marks were taken from. Between 2015 and 2024, he earned at least $100,000, except for 2018 where he only raced six times but still earned over $84,000.
That enduring ability of JL Cruze is echoed by Campbell.
“Hard trying might be the best way to describe him,” Campbell said. “I don’t think there was ever a race where he didn’t give me 100 per cent. Even that next year in 2016 where he didn’t win quite as often but was still successful – he always just had a really good attitude about going out there and he always gave you an effort.”
All told, JL Cruze completed his career as a battle-tested double millionaire, with just over $2 million in earnings while winning 75 times. His final win came earlier this year in a time of 1:54.2 at Rosecroft, close to home for trainer Ell. “The King” will be remembered not only for his success and durability, but as a throwback from a preceding era.
