Callahan on fire at Big M

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – It was an evening for all to stand and salute harness racing driver Corey Callahan, as the man known as “The Captain” was top dog at The Meadowlands Saturday night (Sep 08), winning four times on the 11-race program.

With many of The Big M’s regular drivers up at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Callahan gave the orders, winning all of his races over a five-race span from the third through the seventh.

Golden Quest N (Bettor`s Delight) was Callahan’s first winner’s circle visitor, scoring as the 4-5 favorite in a TrackMaster 84.5 pace for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno in 1:52. Hotfoot Hannah (Chapter Seven) followed in the fourth race, taking a non-winners of $7,500 trot in 1:53.4 as the 5-2 second choice for Claude Huckabone III.

Callahan copped his third of the night behind Eager To Please (Sweet Lou), the 9-5 favorite, in a non-winners of $3,000 for fillies and mares on the pace for Bob Cleary in a lifetime-best 1:51.3 before capping his big night with the Bongiorno student Fix-It-Up (Chapter Seven), the 5-2 public choice, in a non-winners of $5,000 trot in 1:55.

EAGER TO PLEASE REPLAY

BOMBS AWAY: There were plenty of smiles to go around for players who hit some big tickets on the program.

The 20-cent Pick-5, which began with 12-1 and 20-1 shots, paid off a handsome $10,367.14 despite the sequence ending with horses that went off at 4-5, 5-2 and 6-5.

There was only one winning ticket sold in the 20-cent Survivor Pick-7, and that player, who only needed six correct selections to cash, walked away with $5,034.74.

Twenty-cent Pick-6 bettors will be looking forward to when racing resumes, as there were no winning tickets sold on the bet, creating a carryover of $4,091.80. Those with five correct collected $682.04.

Finally, the $50,000 guaranteed 50-cent Pick-4 provided more fiscal fireworks, with a payout of $9,969.55 after a sequence that saw no winning favorites.

NO RACING THURSDAY: The live racing program that was scheduled to take place on Thursday, Sept. 8, has been canceled.

A LITTLE MORE: George Napolitano Jr. recorded a driving double while Bongiorno ended the night with a pair of training victories. … All-source handle totaled $1,632,761. … Racing resumes Friday at 6:20 p.m.