Campo off to fast start as agent for Cancel

David GreningDec 09, 2019

Barbara D. LivingstonLongtime racing official P.J. Campo took over as jockey agent for Eric Cancel earlier this fall.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After nearly 25 years as a racing official, P.J. Campo is now working for the first time as a jockey’s agent, booking mounts for journeyman rider Eric Cancel.

The two have gotten off to a terrific start.

Cancel won six races from 19 mounts last week and overall is 8 for 32 since Campo took his book two weeks ago. One of Cancel’s two wins Saturday came aboard Saratoga Treasure in the $125,000 Autumn Days Stakes.

“I’m riding with a lot of confidence. I’ve always ridden with confidence,” said Cancel, a finalist for the 2015 Eclipse Award as leading apprentice rider. “I really want to try to have a great winter meet.”

Cancel was previously represented by Ruben Munoz, who also books mounts for Ricardo Santana Jr. Aside from during Saratoga, Munoz was rarely in New York, making it more difficult for Cancel to get mounts, especially at the draw when sometimes a rider is named on more than one horse.

Though Cancel called Munoz “a father figure,” he decided to go with Campo after talking to Munoz and others.

“He used to work on the track, he knows a lot about the industry, he has a lot of good connections, so I didn’t have anything to lose,” Cancel said.

As the son of trainer John Campo Jr., P.J. Campo grew up in the racing industry. He joined the New York Racing Association’s racing office in 1996 and became racing secretary for Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga in 2005. He was promoted to vice president/director of racing in 2008.

Campo left NYRA in the fall of 2013 to become vice-president of racing at The Stronach Group. Campo was the general manager at Gulfstream Park before his role was expanded to include other Stronach tracks including Santa Anita. Campo and The Stronach Group parted ways in the summer, with Campo perhaps a casualty of the difficulties facing Southern California racing following a rash of equine fatalities at Santa Anita at its 2018-19 winter meet.

Campo took the summer to spend time with his family before exploring this opportunity to work for Cancel.

“He’s a good rider, he tries hard, he’s young and has a good attitude,” said Campo, who added that he spoke with Angel Cordero Jr. and Javier Castellano, who both put in good words for him with Cancel. “I think we have a lot of potential to grow. He’s a young guy who wants to work hard. I hope to be part of Eric’s journey to get to the next level.”

Campo, who prides himself on his work ethic, said Cancel has some calls with Chad Brown and on Sunday he worked a horse for Todd Pletcher. Cancel is named on six horses on Thursday, including the 2-year-old A J Rock, trained by Peter Miller, who looks live in race 5. Cancel also has six calls on Friday and has mounts in each of this weekend’s $500,000 New York Stallion Series stakes for 2-year-olds.