Pat Berry has enjoyed a successful fall meet at Meadowlands Racetrack, where he ranks second in the driver standings with 17 wins heading into the final card of the year Saturday night

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The Illinois native had a breakout night on Saturday, Dec. 4 when he drove five winners on the card. His success with long shots this meet prompted the Meadowlands broadcast team to nickname him the "Blue Berry Bomber." Berry has 11 drives on the Saturday card as he looks to edge closer to the 200-win mark for the eighth straight season. He has banked more than $1.8 million in purses for the year.

This is not the first time Berry, 34, has tried his luck at the Meadowlands.

"I came to New Jersey in 2004," Berry said. "It was the year Chester [Harrah's Chester in Pennsylvania] opened. At the time, it seemed we were always going on strike in Chicago. I shipped in with Rick Dane, and I was driving all of his stock. He had about 20 horses, and when I first came here I was doing all right at Freehold and the Meadowlands.

"I went back to Chicago for a whole summer in 2005 because I had a bunch of good stakes horses to drive like Thisbigdogwilfight, and I was driving a lot for Homer Hochstetler. But, I returned to New Jersey that fall. Once again, things just started to not look that good in Illinois. I had a taste of this area, a lay of the land and I just liked it here."

After moving back east, Berry experienced a career season in 2007 when he won 508 races and $4,701,648.

"My success in 2007 had a lot to do with Yonkers. I was racing seven nights a week, and five of them doubleheaders. You've really got to work at it, show up at qualifiers and stuff like that. You also need to have people backing you. For a few years, I had a good run at Yonkers until some of my regular clients left."

This year, Berry has been driving regularly at Freehold, Chester and the Meadowlands.

"This fall, with guys like George Brennan at Yonkers, I've had more opportunity at the Meadowlands and a just chance to gain more confidence out there. Obviously, it helps when you have better horses to drive and you can put those contenders in a better spot. The top guys are generally looking to make their moves early and often leave the gate hard. You don't win too many races at the quarter pole.

"When you look at the tote board and see you're 20 or 30-1, you have to be patient. I mean, when you're 99-1, you might be hoping to get fourth or fifth. You get lucky once in awhile. I can get my share of long shots home. It's also really nice now to look at the overnight when it comes out and see you have some choices."

Berry was born in Harvard, Illinois and started his driving career on the Chicago circuit, racing at Balmoral Park, Maywood Park and Fairmount Park. His first marquee horse was Artbitration, who hooked up with Rainbow Blue during their three-year-old season in 2004.

"My family on my mom's side got me going. Actually, my grandfather and uncle had a big stable there in the seventies and eighties. It went by the family name of Jacobs, and my mom's maiden name was Penny Jacobs. My father raced horses for a while, but mostly runs a construction company now.

"Through my father's construction company I have a commercial vehicle license, and I could drive a semi-truck if I had to, but I don't enjoy that. Down the road I would like to train a stable and not concentrate so much on driving. I love racing horses and it's just a lot easier when you can win.

"I like my new nickname, the Blue Berry Bomber," he added. It fits right now."

(Meadowlands Racetrack)