East Rutherford, NJ – K Ryan Bluechip used an amazing final half-mile to win the Saturday night (Dec. 8) feature at the Meadowlands – an $18,500 conditioned pace – for a second straight week.

K Ryan Bluechip and driver Brett Miller win the Saturday night feature at the Meadowlands, an $18,500 conditioned pace. Lisa Photo.

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 (Dec. 7) 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-sources handle totaled $1,943,975 for the 11-race program. … Racing resumes Thursday (Dec. 13) 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.