Report: Trainer John Campo Jr. dies of liver failure

Trainer John Campo Jr. died last Thursday at age 56, Daily Racing Form reported Wednesday.

Campo's brother, P.J., told DRF the cause of death was liver failure, saying his brother had received a liver transplant but that it didn't take.

Campo was a longtime assistant to his father, including in 1981, when they trained Pleasant Colony, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

He began training on his own in 1984, according to Equibase, and had a career record of 1,982: 112-149-183 and earnings of $3,273,226.

Campo won two graded stakes. True Quality, his top earner at $190,580, won the Grade 2 General George Handicap in 2009. And Kachemak Bay won the Pilgrim (G3) in 1999.

His last year of training was 2021, when he raced at Tampa Bay Downs and Mountaineer.

DRF noted that P.J. Campo is the agent for Javier Castellano, who rode Mage to victory in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.