After 2019 saw him crack the Top 10 in the standings at the top venue in the sport, driver Tyler Buter no doubt had a resolution to win even more races at the Meadowlands during 2020.
He’s off to a good start.
Buter, who had a career-best $5.6 million in earnings a year ago, celebrated multiple wins on the Thursday program to get his Winter Meeting at the mile oval off to a good start.
The 34-year-old Michigan native snagged his first winner of the night with the Bob Lounsbury-trained Summer Rock in a filly and mare pace for TrackMaster 74.5 or less as the 7-5 favourite in the fourth race in 1:53.4.
Buter, who won 47 times at the Big M during 2019, made a huge move on the far turn to open up a big lead in the fifth race with Walks Of Life before holding off the late-charging Sir Richie N by a diminishing neck in 1:53.1 for trainer Besim Odza in a $7,500 claiming pace as the 5-2 second choice.
The third and final score for Buter came in the ninth race behind Spilling The Beans, who stopped the clock in 1:54 as the 6-5 public choice for trainer William Adamczyk in another filly and mare pace for TrackMaster 74.5 or less.
There were only two winning favourites on the card and Buter drove them both.
(With files from Meadowlands)