by Rachel Ryan, Meadowlands Media Relations Department

East Rutherford, NJ — Corey Callahan was at it again, picking up four more wins on Saturday night (March 30) at the Meadowlands. In race 12, he came within a nose of a fifth win, which would have been career win number 3,000.

One of Callahan’s four wins came with Cane Ridge, who lived up to the favorite’s role in the $60,850 Rags to Riches final, reducing his lifetime record to a flat 1:50 in the process.

Lisa photo

Cane Ridge was a 1:50 winner in the Rags to Riches final.

When the opportunity comes to race mid-level overnighters for a purse this large, the pace figures to be contested and that was surely the case here.

Callahan had hinted at his intentions during his “In The Sulky” interview before the card began and Cane Ridge sports an awful lot of “ones” in his past performance lines.

Cambassador, second choice in the wagering, presented driver John Campbell few options from post ten other than to blast out and take his medicine. The price was a steep one, as Cane Ridge was keen to go on and carried Cambassador through demanding consecutive :26.2 quarters before grudgingly surrendering the lead while passing the half.

Callahan popped the favorite back out when the field caught up and the flow began to form and cleared back to the lead before the 1:21.2 third split. Though weary from the speed, Cane Ridge held off the close of Tamayo by the scantest of margins. Cambassador held bravely for third.

Trainer Doug Dilloian, Jr. was rightfully proud of the effort when interviewed post race.

“He’s been great throughout the series and he did it the right way tonight. I think he’s earned at least one shot against conditioned types after this race.”

Darius Oshidar owns the Cambest veteran who eclipsed his 2012 earnings with this, his fourth win in eight seasonal starts.

It was another big night at the betting windows at the Meadowlands, as the 13-race program easily eclipsed the 2012 handle figures and the $3 million mark once again. The $3,398,819 wagered on the Saturday program was an increase of 29 percent from the same Saturday a year ago.

Racing returns on Friday (April 5) with the Night Styles series and post time at 7:15 p.m.