By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media
Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – K Ryan
Bluechip used an amazing final half-mile to win the Saturday night feature at
the Meadowlands – an $18,500 conditioned pace – for a second straight week.
Driver Brett Miller was in no hurry
early with the Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee, but the fans who bet him as the 2-1
favorite probably wish he’d been closer at the half. K Ryan Bluechip was last
in the field of seven past the quarter- and half-mile markers, as the
pace-setting Bell I No was being pressured on the front end, setting the stage
for an off-the-pace winner.
K Ryan Bluechip, a 6-year-old gelded
son of Art Major-Fool That I Am, was activated by Miller with just over
three-eighths to go, using a quick burst of speed to get into a third-over flow
around the far turn and past three-quarters. But instead of opting to stay in
the fast lane, KRB swung three-wide for the drive to the wire and that proved
to be the right move, as K Ryan Bluechip sprinted past the field during his
:26.3 final quarter, recording a three-quarter length win in 1:50.1. A
determined Bell I No and Clouseau Hanover - who had plenty of late pace -
finished in a dead heat for second.
The winner, who is owned by Carl
Howard and Brian Witt, returned $6.00 to his backers, and now has seven
victories in 31 starts this year. Lifetime, he’s won 30-of-97 and banked just
over $378,000.
PICK-5 TURNAROUND: After Friday night’s 50-Cent Pick-5
paid $60.15 as favorites won every leg of the wager, things went much
differently Saturday evening.
In the third race on the program (Leg
one of the Pick-5), Too Much Hanover and driver Vinny Ginsburg scored at odds
of 29-1, paying more to win ($61.00) than the Pick-5 returned on Friday.
After the next four winners in the
sequence were sent off at ‘useable’ odds of 8-1, 3-5, 6-5 and 2-1, the Saturday
Pick-5 came back a handsome $21,640.30.
A LITTLE MORE: In addition to getting the Pick-5 off
to a good start, Ginsburg also had a big hand in the Early Daily Double
($194.80), scoring with 14-1 chance Rock Star in the opener. … Andy McCarthy
made three winner’s circle visits, raising his meet-leading dash-win total to
30. … All-source handle totaled $1,943,975 for the 11-race program. … Racing
resumes Thursday at 7:15 p.m. … Live action will be conducted on a
Thursday-Saturday basis at the Big M during December, with one exception. There
will be no live racing on Saturday, Dec. 15, with the New York Jets hosting the
Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m.
