Bangor couple to compete in races at Ontario

Winter beckons. Harness racing snowbirds will soon pack up their belongings and head for the warmer climes of Florida, California, even New York.

For others, such as the Heath Campbell and Valerie Grondin team, it’s almost time to pack up and head north.

North? Winter in Canada? The words, tundra and Alberta Clipper come to mind.

Sitting on the rail at Bangor Raceway in the bright, warm October sun, Grondin can’t imagine the cold. Besides, she laughs, Campbell has assured her it’s not as bad a winter in Canada as here in dear old Bangor, Maine.

“This is what Heath says, ‘It’s a dryer cold,”‘ Grondin said.

Campbell has told her Buffalo gets all of the bad weather.

“It’s nicer up there. That’s what they say. But if you’re racing and busy, the cold doesn’t bother you as much,” Grondin says.

Ahh, there’s the rub. There’s racing in Canada. And Campbell says its good racing and good money.

Campbell has won roughly 1,700 races, an incredible number considering he is only 29-years-old. He was born in Lewiston and moved to the Canadian Maritimes when he was young. His parents brought him up in the sport. Campbell came back to Maine and he and Grondin hooked up nine-years ago. They live in Bangor.

“We went to New York before [for winter racing]. It was OK. We’re going up to Flamboro Downs. It’s good money. They have slot machines and it’s five days racing a week,” Campbell said.

Slot machines. Some in the Maine harness racing industry believe the so-called one-armed bandits could be a boon to harness racing here. In fact, a preliminary report on the future of Bangor Raceway prepared by a Bar Harbor consulting firm for the Bangor City Council referred to the industry’s success in Ontario after the introduction of slot machines.

The uncertainty of Bangor Raceway’s future weighs heavily on Grondin and Campbell.

“I’ve been listening to that for about 10 years. You just wish that you knew either one way or another. I hope it’s not something they just keep dragging out,” Grondin said.

Grondin virtually grew up at Bass Park. She says when most girls her age were playing with dolls she had model horses. She spent her summers working in the Bass Park barns, grooming horses.

Now 20 years later, she drives from time-to-time but primarily trains horses.

“Heath is one of the top drivers in the state. So, money wise, he drives and I train. It works out pretty good.”

She and Campbell work a number of their own horses and say they’ve had the good fortune to train and race horses for local businessman Bill Varney. They will take several of Varney’s horses with them north.

“He gives up top quality horses and he gives us the opportunity to go everywhere,” Grondin said. “It’s hard to find someone who will back you like that 100 percent. ”

And Grondin is also involved with the University of Maine where she earned a pre-veterinarian degree. She says she trains a horse for the university to try to get more young people involved in the business.

“The university people bring all their friends and the deans and the faculty come to watch that one horse. Then they come down and take care of her and walk her and realize there’s a lot more to it than they thought,” Grondin said.

The pair will pack up soon and hit the road. A pair of snowbirds on a northerly route. They plan to rent a house near the track in Dundas, Ontario, from a man who winters in Texas. And it may not be the last of their travels.

They have spent a winter season in New York and while Campbell says California is a possibility in the future, Grondin is lobbying for Florida.

“Heath says we’ll go to Florida when we retire,” Grondin laughs.

Down the stretch: Speaking of Campbell, he drove Kef Hanover to the win in the $6,000 Mountain Skipper Invitational Pace last Sunday at the Fryeburg Fair. … Earlier that day Kim Ireland was in the bike when Pine Magic won the $4,000 Ed Keller Memorial Trot. … Fryeburg Fair’s total handle for the six day meet was $896,685. … The Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes finals for 3-year-olds will take place Sunday at Scarborough Downs. Post time is 1 p.m.