Jose Campos has good reason, four of them to be exact, to believe he can make it through 2023 Honeysuckle a special season.
Nearly 4,000 kilometers currently separate the 31-year-old jockey from the track he will take on this year, the three-track oval track where he has raced in 192 races in 2022.
Currently, Campos is in Mexico City, spending quality time with his wife Giovanna and their three children, daughter Selenia, sons Jose Luis and Thiago, before returning to Toronto at the end of March.
As talk turned to his second season and first full campaign at Woodbine, Campos, one of Mexico’s top equestrians, flashed a broad grin, which he considers his game changer for his equestrian career in Canada.
“I’ll try to bring them in April so we can be together. That would be better for me. Family is everything. My wife, she’s always been a big help to me. When you’re not there With my family next to me, it’s not easy. When they’re here, I think things will be better for me. Everything will be fine.”
While home is the capital of Mexico, Campos has found another solace in the form of Woodbine.
He made his oval debut in Toronto on October 9, finishing ninth with a score of 63-1 Grand Gizmo in the 1/16 mile Inner Turf race.
Not a Hollywood ending, but a moment that solidified what Campos was thinking about moving to Canada.
“I tried to go to Woodbine two or three years ago, but I couldn’t because of the pandemic. So when I got to Toronto, I was happy. It was a good opportunity for me and I wanted to make the most of it. The first race, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I remember being on the track before the race and looking around and smiling. I thought about how I felt when I won my first race.”
On October 20, during the sixth race, Campos experienced it when teaming up with Ima Daredevil ‘s 5 year old daughter reckless to win the 6 1/2 length title race for mares and mares, ages 3 and up, with a length of 6 1/2.
Ima Daredevil wins claim race at Woodbine
“It’s like a dream come true. I’m so happy. It was one of the best days of my career. To be in the winner’s circle after three years of trying to get to Woodbine, I said, ‘Yes! This is what I want.'”
By the end of the season, he had made 16 winners’ rounds, along with 69 top-three finishes and $743,933 in pocket money.
Campos has entered seven bet races, his best being coming in second with the 2-year-old Norseman Racing Stable A Hemingway Bay in Gray Stock (G3).
His final victory in 2022 has come Bold Reloada Florida hybrid of reload on the closing date of the Woodbine meeting.
“The track is amazing. The main track is great. EP Taylor is one of the best pitches in the world and we are lucky to have another beautiful pitch. I love it. Woodbine is one of the best. Best track for sure.”
Support, from fellow riders, was immediate.
“People come to me and say if I need anything let them know. Emma (Jayne-Wilson), Patrick (Husbands), Luis (Contreras), Rafael (Hernandez) and so many others have been there. makes me feel comfortable. There are a lot of good riders here. We have a good colony. It’s not easy to get out of your country without your family.”
Campos’ agent, former Woodbine racer Gerry Olguin, offered him more than just the chance to ride.
The lifetime winner of 2,000 races, who was born in California but raised in Mexico, did his best to make Campos feel comfortable off the track.
Olguin praised: “Jose has great qualities for a jockey, and he is a really hard worker. He was also born underweight, which is a huge plus.”
Campos is grateful for Olguin’s efforts to make the transition to Woodbine a smooth one.
“He’s a good friend. I lived at his house for the last two months of the season. It was really good for me. His wife (Robin) and son (Kai) are also very nice people. “
Before long, Campos will have many familiar faces around.
A win-win scenario for a driver with ambitious goals for 2023, one he believes will be within his grasp when the season ends on April 22.
“I’m going to try to be in the top five. I know it’s not easy because I’m a newbie and I have to work hard, but that’s what I want to do this year. I feel good in every way. I feel good going forward, over the pace, whatever the situation. Wherever I am in the race, I will try to win. So I want to try to be in the top five here.”
A place that already feels at home and will be even more so in a few months.
This press release has been edited by BloodHorse Staff for content and style.
