East Rutherford, NJ — Shvaiko needed a little bit of luck to take the $23,000 feature at The Meadowlands Saturday night (April 3), and once he got it, he defeated a talented field in a non-winners of $20,000 pace in a lifetime-best 1:49.1.

Shvaiko and driver Todd McCarthy sneak up the inside to take the Saturday night feature at The Meadowlands. McCarthy would finish the card with four winners. Lisa Photo.

On a night that was kind to horses racing on or near the lead, driver Todd McCarthy – who guided four winners on the evening – left the gate like a blur with the 5-year-old gelded son of Art Major-Grace K and grabbed the point around the first turn before yielding to a headstrong Ana Afreet N (who hit the quarter in :27) who then yielded to I’m A Big Deal (Dexter Dunn) before the half (:55.2).

“I was happy to get away third,” said McCarthy. “He leaves like a Ferrari.”

I’m A Big Deal still had the lead at three-quarters (1:22.2) but had been hounded down the backside by Fabrizio N (George Brennan), who pressed the leader from the half to the far turn. McCarthy and Shvaiko were still sitting third at the rail when they turned for home, but a good decision and some good fortune would then play a big part in the outcome.

When Ana Afreet N rallied along the inside to come after I’m A Big Deal, who was bearing out while tiring, Shvaiko then found just enough room to Ana Afreet N’s inside to get the win by a neck in a thrilling finish. Ana Afreet N finished second with I’m A Big Deal third.

“(In the stretch) a couple of the ones on the outside were getting tired,” said McCarthy. “It was a matter of which way was I going to go. We got lucky and never had to leave the rail.”

Shvaiko, who paid $6.20 as the 2-1 favorite in the field of nine, recorded his 13^th career win from 33 starts. The Scott Betts trainee has now earned $113,967 for owners T. Betts, Tar Heel Racing, S. Moss and Lone Wolf Stable.

THAT’S A HALF-DOZEN, COUSIN: Wagering surpassed the $3-million plateau for a third straight program – and sixth over the last 11 – as all-source action on the 13-race card totaled $3,243,536. Wagering for the weekend was just over $6.3 million.

IT WAS A GOOD RUN: For the first time this year, driver Yannick Gingras failed to win a race on a Meadowlands program. He had recorded at least one victory on the first 22 cards of 2022.

A LITTLE MORE: Dexter Dunn stayed hot by guiding three horses to victory lane. … Despite favorites winning each of the last four races, the 20-cent Pick-6 returned $2,086.30. … Both 50-cent Pick-4s took in just over $95,000 in action, with payoffs that were opposites to say the least. The Early P4 returned $1,658.35 while the Late P4 came back $33.90. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.