Sole filly ‘Crown’ elim field trounced by Check Me Out

By Frank and Ray Cotolo

TORONTO, Ont. – Check Me Out (Donato Hanover) with Tim Tetrick up, obliterated the two-year-old filly trotters in their only Breeders Crown elimination at Woodbine Racetrack on Oct. 21 in.

For A Dancer (Conway Hall) was second, Aunt Mel (Yankee Glide) was third and Miss Paris (Kadabra) was fourth.

Soprano Hanover (Muscles Yankee) and Personal Style (Yankee Glide) do not progress to the final. Circles and Win Missy B received byes to the Oct. 29 finale.

For A Dancer with Jeff Gregory left for the lead, with Aunt Mel and David Miller and Check Me Out right there heading for the first turn. For A Dancer took the field by the quarter in :29 as they settled in line.

Approaching the three-eighths marker, “Check” came first over with a strong brush and cleared the top at the half in :58.1 (:29.1). “Dancer” stayed in second, “Mel” was in third and Miss Paris was in fourth.

Check had full command of all foes around the far turn as Dancer stalked in second and Mel rolled along in third.

Then, Personal Style went on a break and disorganized the backfield. Check was oblivious to anything but the lead and he took the field by three-quarters in 1:27.2 (:29.1).

Dancer was riding the pylons in second and Mel, going wide, was closing in third. Miss Paris, steered by Scott Zeron, was coming on with a late charge, getting fourth, the best any of the backfield could do.

Check Me Out controlled the freshmen fillies all the way to the wire to take the Breeders Crown elimination at 1-5. For A Dancer was second, Aunt Mel was third and Miss Paris finished fourth.

There was a $216 refund on Soprano Hanover, who broke behind the gate at the start, due to the fair-start rule.

Tetrick said he was very happy with the way the trip worked out for the prohibitive favorite. “My filly was relaxed and would do anything I wanted her to do,” he said. “She’s been good every start, she just had some bad luck the one race she got beat; she just wasn’t on her game. She has bounced back every start super since then. I think she has gotten better and stronger with every start.”

Tetrick commented about racing strongly with a slight wind factor in the stretch by saying, “At the top of the lane I called on her, she dropped her butt about six inches and she was gone. It’s a great feeling when you talk to ‘em at the top of the lane and they take off.”

Check Me Out is a filly by Donato Hanover, the sire’s second progeny to win a frosh elim on this program. She has earned a little more than a half-million dollars in her first racing season.

Trainer Ray Schnittker co-owns her with Charles Iannazzo. She was bred by Az Agricola Bisuzzi SrlScude. The win was Tetrick’s second elimination score on the night.