After winning four of seven starts and banking close to $240,000 as a two-year-old in 2024, it looked like American Son was going to have a solid career on the racetrack.

But after a three-year-old season in which the son of American Ideal-Lady Captain won just once from five outings, his connections no doubt were looking to get back on track in this, his four-year-old campaign.

It appears that things might be turning around.

The Chris Ryder-trained, Patrick Ryder-driven American Son made his way into the winner’s circle for the first time in 2026 in the Thursday, Aug. 6 feature at The Meadowlands, a $17,606 pace for horses with a TrackMaster rating of 83.5 or less.

Patrick Ryder sat patiently in the three-hole to the half-mile mark, rushed up first-over to take the lead away from Goodbye Stranger (Joe Bongiorno) at three-quarters, before striding clear to an authoritative 3-1/4-length win in 1:51 over Euphoria N (Shaun Vallee). Our Sweet Delight A (Steve Smith) was third.

“He felt super tonight. I think we finally have him on the right track,” said Patrick Ryder. “It's been a long road. He raced brilliantly tonight. We would love it if he could have a really good second half of the year. That's the idea. We'd love to bring him down to Kentucky and get him involved in some of those stakes races.”

After scoring for the first time this season in nine tries, American Son now has six wins from 21 lifetime tries. He has amassed $312,139 in earnings for owner Henderson Farms of Chicago, Illinois. 

As the 6-5 favourite, he returned $4.40 to win.

Compensate Me closed along the inside to record an upset score in the secondary feature, a TM 80.5 on the pace for $14,085. The four-year-old gelded son of Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass stopped the clock in a lifetime-best 1:50.3 and paid $22.20 to win for driver Vinny Ginsburg and trainer Cory Stratton.

Finnish driver Veli Pekka Toivanen earned his first North American win when he rallied the trainer Noel Daley's trotter Walkwhileyourtalkn home from well off the pace in a $13,380 conditioned trot to prevail in 1:55 flat by a nose over Chaprow (Joe Bongiorno) and Kingpin Hanover (Brett Beckwith). The popular winner returned $3.40. 

Brett Beckwith is well on his way to taking home a second straight title as top driver for the Winter-Spring Championship Meet. His four winners were the most among the drivers on the 14-race card and he now has 100 victories on the year.

Per Engblom and Stacy Chiodo topped the trainers on Thursday, as each took two walks down victory lane.

All-source handle on the 14-race program totalled $1,426,933 USD.

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

(With files from Meadowlands Racetrack)