When the curtain fell on the 2023 harness racing season at Fraser Downs, the usual stars, Brandon Campbell and Kelly Hoerdt, were once again leading the charge as top drivers and trainers at the B.C. oval.
However, upon the recent return of racing to Fraser Downs, both Campbell and Hoerdt were notably absent from the overnight listings.
Reports from Trot Insider reveal that one of the missing figures will soon make a comeback, while the other is opting for a more gradual return to the track. Kelly Hoerdt is set to make his mark first. In a recent interview with Trot Insider, the seasoned horseman mentioned that he was closely monitoring the early weeks of racing at the B.C. oval to ensure that the track conditions, known for their variability during this part of the year due to fluctuating temperatures, were satisfactory.
"I'll be heading there this week,"
said Hoerdt, who celebrated his sixth million-dollar season as a trainer in 2023.
"The track surface seems to be in good shape now”.
Having clinched the 2023 dash title at Fraser Downs with 85 training victories, Hoerdt is heading west with seven pacers, including the prominent contenders In High Cotton and Armycaptin Hanover, who, according to Hoerdt, "both perform well at the track." Meanwhile, his Alberta barn houses another 25 horses, many of which are gearing up for the upcoming live harness racing season at Century Downs in March. Hoerdt boasts 2,887 wins as a driver, with earnings exceeding $19 million, alongside 2,462 training victories and nearly $19 million in purses.
Looking ahead to March, Brandon Campbell is set to return to the action at Fraser Downs. As the track's leading reinsman for the past four seasons, Campbell shared with Trot Insider his intention to ease into the season at a more relaxed pace and spend quality time with his family.
"I'm taking things slowly this year; the frequent flights and commuting between Calgary and Edmonton have finally taken their toll,"
expressed Campbell.
"I'm focusing on spending time with my daughters and nurturing my young horses. I'll likely be heading to B.C. for the stakes races."
While Campbell may be scaling back on air travel and track time, for now, he remains active. Following a record-breaking season as a driver in 2023 with 293 wins and $2,239,664 in earnings, Campbell is currently directing his attention towards training. His stable enjoyed its most successful year in 2023, achieving personal bests in wins (92) and purses ($949,619), bringing his career totals to 2,686 driving victories with $17.6 million in earnings, alongside 815 training wins and $5.3 million in purses.
"We're in full training mode, preparing some racehorses for the season opener on the 16th [of March] at Century Downs. Once they're ready, we'll bring out the rest and the three-year-olds to the track,"
shared Campbell.
"We currently have seven two-year-olds in training, making a total of 29 horses in the barn, in addition to five of our six broodmares getting set to foal this spring”.