East Rutherford, NJ – Driver Dexter Dunn was electric at the Meadowlands Saturday night, and so was the action, as Dunn scored four times on the program and wagering reached the magic $3-million mark for the fifth time in 2019.

Dunn got his night off to a quick start, sweeping the Early Daily Double with a pair of Tim Lancaster trainees.

Smileandsaycheese came from well off the pace to take the opener, a conditioned pace, in 1:52.1 at odds of 12-1 before 2-1 favorite Four Staces completed the DD – which paid $85.80 – in a $15,000 up to $20,000 claiming handicap pace in 1:52.4.

Rather Swell took the inside route to the winner’s circle in the fifth race at the Meadowlands Saturday night, one of four victories on the evening for driver Dexter Dunn. Lisa Photo.

The New Zealand native swept another Daily Double, this one beginning in race four, scoring with the Chris Ryder-trained American World in 1:53 in a non-winners of one pace as the 2-1 second choice before winning with Rather Swell, the 7-5 public choice, for trainer Mike Watson in a $10,000 up to $12,500 claiming handicap pace in 1:54.1. That DD returned $20.80.

All-source wagering totaled $3,082,637, good for the fifth-best night of action at the Big M – as well as the industry – this year.

A total of $313,088 was bet on the opener, $345,218 on the fourth race ($103,276 in the Exacta pool alone) and $317,809 on the fifth as those three races accounted for $976,115 of the evening’s action.

The 50-cent Pick-4 pool reached six figures for the seventh time in 11 tries, as $101,640 was poured into the pot.

A LITTLE MORE: Dover Downs invader Highalator destroyed a high-class conditioned field of pacers in the eighth race by 5-¾ lengths. Driver Richard Still guided the Jenny Bier trainee to the easy speed win in 1:50.2 as the 6-5 favorite for his 23rd victory in 55 lifetime starts. … Rebel Rouser made the lead while parked at the quarter and went down the road from there in an ultra-competitive non-winners of four on the pace in race 12. The Robert Cleary trainee sprinted his final quarter in :26.4 on the way to his fourth straight score. Andy McCarthy guided the winner to a lifetime-best mile time of 1:51.1. …

Racing resumes Friday (March 29) at 7:15 p.m., featuring the second edition of the 20-cent Can-Am Pick-4.