Corot took advantage of an opening half-mile speed duel directly in front of him by slipping along the rail in mid-stretch and then drawing off to a 3½-length victory in Saturday’s featured starter allowance on the final program of the year for all-turf racing at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford.

Ridden by Wilmer Garcia, Corot sat off the taxing head-to-head battle between even-money favorite American Sailor and 9-5 second choice Anytime Anyplace, with the two frontrunners ticking off the opening quarter in :22.02 and reaching the half mile mark in the five-furlong dash in :46.13.

When both tired in the early stretch, Corot shot the rail for the easy victory for his new connections, who claimed the 4-year-old colt – originally a $925,000 yearling purchase – for $7,500 out of his last race.

Skip Einhorn trains Corot, who returned $14.20 to win. The final time for the five furlongs over a turf course labelled good was :58.47.

Dark Roast rallied for second, a head better than Smart and Tough in third as both American Sailor and Anytime Anyplace faded.

The 2019 Thoroughbred season in New Jersey concludes Sunday, when Monmouth Park wraps up its 61-day meet with a 10-race card.

That final program of the Monmouth meet will feature a mandatory payout of a Jersey Shore Pick 6 carryover of $43,252. Also to be decided is the jockey’s race, with Paco Lopez holding a 107 to 106 advantage over Nik Juarez. Both are listed to ride seven horses on the card.

Jorge Navarro has already clinched his record seventh straight training title.

First race post time is 1:15 p.m.