Recently, times have been tough for Warrior One, a veteran whose lifetime earnings are just over $800,000, but the Ron Burke trainee got back into the winner’s circle for the first time since June 20 on Friday night in the $15,493 conditioned trotting feature at The Meadowlands, and looked impressive doing it to snap a seven-race losing streak.

“The way he’s been racing he should have been in non-winners of $1,000,” said a sarcastic winning owner/driver Yannick Gingras in the back paddock after the victory at the non-winners of $7,042 level. “But he has great class. He hasn’t been racing to his level [of late] but tonight he was really good.”

Warrior One sat a pocket to the quarter, where Love This Bar had the top in :28.4. Starlit Rambo then made his way to the point at the half, leading at that call in :57.3 as Warrior One vacated the rail from the three-hole at the five-eighths to go after the leader. He turned a one-length deficit at three-quarters (Starlit Rambo was there in 1:27.2) into a two-length edge at the top of the lane before going on to an easy three-length score in 1:56.4. A pair of 38-1 longshots, Love This Bar and Altus Hanover, finished second and third, respectively.

“[In this class] it’s supposed to be easy for him and I think it was a step in the right direction,” said Gingras.

Little Expensive, the 4-5 favourite, was never involved on the way to a lackluster fifth-place finish.

An eight-year-old gelded son of Father Patrick-Yoga, Warrior One scored for the 39th time from 158 lifetime starts. He returned $7 to his backers as the 5-2 second choice.

JM Betonsix snuck up the rail to nail stakes-caliber three-year-old filly – and 3-5 favourite – Canigetalouploup by a nose in 1:54.1 as the 6-1 fourth choice in the pacing feature, a $25,352 conditioned event for fillies and mares. The six-year-old daughter of Betting Line-Six Of Hearts was driven by Braxten Boyd and trained by Blake MacIntosh.

There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $3,690 for Saturday’s card. Those with five correct selections collected $165.32.

All-source handle on the 14-race card totalled $2,126,456.

Racing resumes on Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

(Meadowlands Racetrack)