East Rutherford, NJ — Look out below!

After being dismissed at odds of 50-1, Buen Camino shocked an abbreviated star-laden field in the featured $30,000 Preferred for trotters at the Meadowlands Friday night (Nov. 2).

Buen Camino helped create a carryover situation in the Pick-5 with a stunning upset in the feature at The Meadowlands. Lisa Photo.

The Trond Smedshammer trainee was in no hurry in the early stages, sitting fifth past the quarter and the half. Heading to three-quarters, driver Scott Zeron put Buen Camino in a perfect spot second-over, getting towed into the race by 8-5 favorite Cruzado Dela Noche (Brian Sears), who earlier this year won the $175,200 Arthur J. Cutler Memorial at the Big M.

Leader Muscle M (Andy Miller) Up opened up some space between himself and the pocket-sitting JL Cruze (Dexter Dunn) as he reached three-quarters in 1:23.2 while Cruzado Dela Noche continued to inch his way forward while parked.

At the head of the stretch, Muscle M Up was still a length-and-a-half to the good, but his lead was tenuous as he began to tire. Buen Camino swung around a weary Cruzado Dela Noche with a little more than an eighth of a mile to go as even-money favorite Melady’s Monet swung to the far outside after going a third-over journey.

“He’s a classy horse,” said Zeron of Buen Camino. “He’s a big strong horse and I figured he could go with (this field). He exceeded my expectations.”

In deep stretch, it appeared Melady’s Money would power by to go on to his fourth straight victory, but Buen Camino was strong to the wire, keeping the favorite at bay for a neck win in a lifetime-best equaling 1:52. JL Cruze was third, followed by Trolley, Muscle M Up and Cruzado Dela Noche in the six-horse field.

“I did think Melady’s Monet was going to go by,” said Zeron. “He had been winning the opens at Yonkers, but my horse exploded off cover and I just had to keep him on that tempo.”

Buen Camino returned $104.40 to his backers for trainer Trond Smedshammer and owners Purple Haze Stables. The 7-year-old gelded son of Cash Hall-Baby Bella now has 18 wins from 88 career starts, good for earnings of $765,071.

PICK-5 CARRYOVER: No one selected all of the winners in the 50-cent Pick-5, creating a carryover of $19,326 going into Saturday’s card. The last time there was a Pick-5 carryover, the total pool reached $150,000 (on Oct. 18), and wagering could exceed that figure Saturday, given the four Kindergarten Classic Finals that are on the card that has purses totaling almost $900,000. Those who went four-for-five in the Pick-5 collected $495.55.

A LITTLE MORE: Dexter Dunn drove three winners on the card. … All-source wagering on the 13-race program totaled $2,423,608, a meet best. … Simulcasting of the Breeders’ Cup from Santa Anita begins Saturday with the first Cup event at 2:55 p.m. The Breeders’ Cup Classic has a post time of 8:44 p.m. … Live harness racing resumes Saturday at 7:15 p.m.