BIG SKEWY N PULLS OFF BIG UPSET AT BIG M

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Everything went Big Skewy N’s way in the Saturday night feature at The Meadowlands, a $40,000 Preferred Handicap for pacers, as the Scott Blackler trainee gunned down the razor-sharp Maximus Miki in deep stretch as the longest shot on the board.

Sent to the gate as a 46-1 outsider in the superb seven-horse field, Big Skewy N was content to let the fireworks go off up front early as Lyons Steel led while parked at the quarter in a demanding :26.2 before South Beach Star grabbed the top at the half in a taxing :54.2.

Sitting fifth at this point, driver George Napolitano Jr. put 6-5 favorite – and winner of this race two weeks ago – Maximus Miki in motion, and as he quickly made up ground on the leaders racing uncovered on the rim, there was Big Skewy N – whose odds were double that of the next longest horse in the field – working out a perfect cover trip second-over after racing sixth to the half behind a horse who was seeking his third win in his last four tries.

Maximus Miki’s momentum carried him right past South Beach Star as the public choice hit three-quarters in 1:22.3 while in full flight.

But Big Skewy N had a surprise in store.

At the eighth pole, driver Johnathan Ahle tipped the 7-year-old gelded son of Sportswriter-Serenas Whisper off his cover to take his shot at the favorite, and nearing the wire, after continuing to chip away at the leader’s edge, Big Skewy N got past Maximus Miki to win by a half-length in 1:49.2. Brue Hanover, who’s now been superb in three straight Big M starts, was third.

“I thought [Maximus Miki] was the best of the bunch,” said Ahle. “We got a good second-over trip and lucked out.”

Did you think you’d be able to get past Maximus Miki?

“He’s tough but my horse is good,” said the 27-year-old pilot. “Whomever is the best on that day [is the winner]. He was sharp to the wire.”

Big Skewy N, who returned a whopping $94.20 to win, upped his lifetime stats to 22 wins from 97 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $232,817 for owners Arrhythmic LLC.

A PAIR OF FIVES: Jason Bartlett won five races on the night to lead the driver colony, enabling the 43-year-old Yonkers kingpin to become just the second pilot this year to win five times on a Meadowlands card twice, joining Yannick Gingras.

Andy McCarthy and Dave Miller each won five on a card once this year.

Only one driver has won six dashes on a single Meadowlands program during 2024. That was Dexter Dunn on Hambletonian Day.

A LITTLE MORE: There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $4,038 for Thursday’s card. Those with five correct collected $74.26. … Tom Fanning and Cory Stratton each had a pair of winners to lead the trainers. … Trainer Zackary Gray got his first-ever Big M win when his Ice House went wire-to-wire in the 12^th race. … All-source betting on the 14-race card totaled $2,515,960. … Live racing resumes at 6:20 p.m. on Thursday, as The Big M wraps up its second of two straight Thursday programs. Racing will then take place on the usual Friday and Saturday evenings.

PHOTO: Big Skewy N gets past Maximus Miki at the wire to pull off a major surprise in the Saturday night feature at The Meadowlands. (Credit: Lisa Photo)