A year on the sidelines failed to deter Muscle Diamond, who advanced with live cover before striking the front in mid-stretch and holding sway in Saturday evening’s $18,000 top-level conditioned trot at The Meadowlands.

John Campbell settled the four-year-old son of Muscle Hill into mid-pack as early pacesetter Aldebaran Eagle (Andy Miller) controlled early splits of :27.4 and :56.1 before sliding second-over behind Rock Of Cashel (Corey Callahan) on the far turn. Muscle Diamond was towed into second through a :28.3 third quarter, advanced on his own accord to put away Rock Of Cashel in mid-stretch, but he wasn’t home free yet.

A pair of late challengers emerged—Kelseys Keepsake (Joe Bongiorno) from third-over and Classical Annie (Jim Marohn, Jr.) up the pegs from the pocket—yet Muscle Diamond kept them a neck and a half-length at bay respectively, prevailing in 1:53.

Trainer Brett Bittle co-owns seven-time winner Muscle Diamond with Charles Keller, III, Charles Keller, IV, and E. Daniel Bittle. Muscle Diamond paid $6.40 to win.

Saturday’s featured seventh race began a Late Pick 4 sequence that boasted a carryover of over $39,000, and players responded with $236,988 in new money.

One lucky horseplayer will have plenty of extra dough for the holiday shopping season after taking down the Jackpot Super High Five wager at the Meadowlands for $68,028.42

The winning ticket was purchased through the Oregon Hub.

The 20-cent wager requires a horseplayer to correctly select the top five finishers in order. The jackpot amount pays out only if there is a single winning ticket.

Saturday’s winning wager featured a carryover of $57,161. The carryover has continued to build since September as no one had successfully taken down the jackpot.

The winning sequence of 4-6-3-5-8 was led by To Beach His Own (13-1) followed by Twincreeks Jack (50-1), Last Best Chance (65-1), Stimulus Plan (1-5) and Makeoutlikeapandit (37-1).

This is the second time in the past two weekends that one of the track’s two Jackpot Super High Fives have paid out the jackpot. The fifth race jackpot was paid out for $20,020 last weekend.

(Meadowlands)