East Rutherford, NJ — A 10-day vacation suited driver Andy McCarthy just fine, as the 37-year-old pilot returned from a family getaway in Costa Rica and won four races – from just 10 drives – on Saturday night (Dec. 30) at the Meadowlands, including the $27,500 distaff pacing feature.

“It was nice to spend some time away with the family,” said McCarthy. “Things worked out tonight. I had some good drives. It was time to get back to work.”

Coachellabound N took the featured pace for fillies and mares who were winners over $10,000 in their last four starts by sitting an ideal pocket trip and pulling off a 6-1 surprise as the fourth choice in the wagering.

“I wasn’t sure how the race would shake out,” said McCarthy. “I thought there would be more horses leaving out of there.”

The Ricky Bucci-trained Coachellabound N left alertly and raced in the two-hole right behind 5-1 third choice Alexa Skye, who cut out fractions of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:23, but Alexa Skye was softened up by 3-2 favorite Intothemysticmoon, who pressed the leader past the middle calls, setting things up for a closer. And McCarthy took the short route to victory lane.

“The trip worked out,” said the pilot, whose 85 Big M wins were good for third in the 2023 final driver standings. “She was loaded and had plenty of go. We just needed to get some room. We snuck inside late and she got the job done.”

Coachellabound N scored in the Saturday night feature at the Meadowlands to give driver Andy McCarthy his fourth of four winners on the card. Lisa Photo.

Coachellabound N, a 5-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou-We Love To Party, was a half-length better than Alexa Skye at the finish in 1:51.2. She paid $15 while scoring for the 14th time from 41 career starts.

McCarthy’s other winners came in the third (Oakwood Ardan Ir, $2.60 to win), sixth (Boiling Oar, $3.40) and ninth (Sport Secret, $10.40) races.

BIG BUSINESS: Saturday marked the final program of the year at the Big M, and 2023 from a handle perspective was historic.

After $3,435,939 was pushed through the windows on the 14-race program, a grand total of $274,765,520 was wagered on Meadowlands races over the 89 programs that were contested at the mile oval during the year, establishing a “Jeff Gural-Jason Settlemoir”-era record average nightly handle of $3,087,253, eclipsing the previous best of $3.00 million, which was established in 2021.

Gural took over the Big M in December 2011.

“It’s been a great year of business for us at the Meadowlands,” said Settlemoir, the track’s chief operating officer and general manager. “A race office that always writes competitive events; horsemen who support our entry box, which permits us to have full 10-horse fields; and patrons who love wagering into the largest pools in the sport — those factors were the keys to our success.”

A LITTLE MORE: Bucci finished the night with a pair of winners to lead the trainers. … The 20-cent Pick-8 failed to yield a winning ticket, setting up a carryover of $2,942 for when racing resumes. … Winning 20-cent Pick-6 players had smiles on their faces, as after a sequence that saw winner’s odds of 9-2, 4-1, 6-1, 2-1, 3-1 and 6-5, they walked away with $5,327. … Racing resumes Friday (Jan. 5) at 6:20 p.m.