David Miller and John Campbell by the numbers
by Bob Heyden
On Feb. 7, David Miller woke up $72,000 and change away from becoming the all-time money-winning driver in harness racing history. He has drives in all 14 races today (Feb. 8) at Miami Valley.
John Campbell retired on June 30, 2017 at $299,892,141, at 62.
Miller is now 61 and is heading towards a switch at the top not seen since the summer of 1987, not 1986 which I had originally thought. Then, a 32-year-old Campbell, smack in the middle of the summer of Mack Lobell, surged past fellow Canadian Herve Filion to become No. 1 at $59.4 million and he’s never, ever looked back.
Miller talked with HRU about that inevitable moment when he will be fitted for the Crown.
“No, I don’t have any plans,” Miller said. “It’ll be a humbling moment, but I will just go back to work the next day.”
When asked about the very first time he had either met or driven against Campbell, Miller said, “Oh, wow, it had to be in 1986 or 1987 at Scioto for the Jug Preview.”
OK, let’s get to some facts, some numbers, some startling differences and some amazing similarities.
• Campbell won his first Meadowlands Pace at age 27 in 1982 with Hilarion. Miller won his first Meadowlands Pace at age 53 in 2018 with Courtly Choice, after Campbell had retired the summer before.
• Campbell’s first Pace win was from post 10, Miller’s first Pace drive was also from post 10 in 1995 with Cinder Lane Sam who finished fifth.
• Campbell was the first to win with a female in sub-1:50 and he did it 42 days apart in 1998 with filly Armbro Romance (1:49.4) followed by the mare Jays Table (1:49.3). Miller was the first to win in 1:47 flat with a female, Shebestingin in 1:47 at The Red Mile on Oct. 5, 2013, and that still holds.
• Miller’s greatest trotter was Magician ($3,579,103), while Campbell’s was Mack Lobell ($3,917,594).
• Campbell was voted into the Hall of Fame as the youngest ever at 35, Miller was four months older than that, also 35, when he won his very first Breeders Crown in 2000 with Magician, the very first $1,000,000 Breeders Crown.
• Miller entered the 2000s at $26,723,311, $150 million less than Campbell at $176 million.
• Miller led in earnings for the year just once, in 2003, with $11,490,590, and 2002 marked the lone time that the two all-time $$ leaders went first and second in the same year, with Campbell leading at $11,967,897 to Miller’s $10,578,711.
• Miller is the only driver to win the Breeders Crown and the Triple Crown with the same horse, No Pan Intended (2003). Campbell never won a Triple Crown only because injury kept him from his appointed task in 2006 with Glidemaster
• Campbell retired with 61,887 drives, 10,667 wins, and $299,892,141. Miller is currently at 87,957 drives (fourth all-time), 14,889 wins (fifth all-time), and $299.8 million, $135G from the No. 1 spot.
• Campbell is the all-time Hambletonian driving leader with six, while Miller is still looking to break through although he did cross the line first in 2017 with What The Hill, but was DQed.
• Miller is set to become the first U.S. born driver to assume the top slot, since Billy Haughton was passed by Herve Filion late in 1979.
• Campbell campaigned the HOY in 1987-88 (Mack Lobell), 1992 (Artsplace), 1994 (Cam’s Card Shark), 2002 (Real Desire), and Glidemaster (2006). Miller had the HOY in 2003 (No Pan Intended), 2016 (Always B Miki), and 2021 (Test Of Faith).
• Miller was the first to win nine races at Northfield (January 1998) and the only driver to win 10 races on a Jug Day card (2003). Campbell was the only driver to win eight races on a single Freehold card (October 1986) and was/is the only driver to win seven consecutive Meadowlands races (February 1983).
You get the picture, totally different paths from two different countries, but the same landing spot.
They are two gentleman that represented their chosen sport quite well.
Have you seen Miller drive lately? I have. His tank is nowhere near “E.”
