Check Me Out Blows Away Field in Matron

DOVER, DE— Check Me Out overcame a big miscue in the first turn to win the $129,050 Matron at Dover Downs on Saturday, November 12. Voluptuous Ronda finished second, Exercise To Go was third and D’orsay finished fourth.

D’orsay, Paris Kentucky and Blue Muscles all left the gate with speed. Check Me Out settled in fourth. Heading to the quarter, Paris Kentucky cleared the front, with D’orsay in second. Check Me Out went off stride from fourth and was behind by about 12 lengths. Blue Muscles settled in third. Paris Kentucky took the field by the quarter in :27.4.

Paris Kentucky was unchallenged heading to the half. D’orsay was in second and Blue Muscles was in third. Voluptuous Ronda circled two wide and started her first over bid. Exercise To Go was gapping cover at the inside. Paris Kentucky lead the way at the half in :58.1 (:29.2).

Voluptuous Ronda cleared the lead heading to three-quarters. Paris Kentucky was in second and D’orsay was buried at the rail in third. D’orsay found a spot and came second over. Exercise To Go rushed to the outside and sat third over. Check Me Out started closing three wide around the far turn. Voluptuous Ronda had a length advantage at three-quarters in 1:27.4 (:29.3).

Voluptuous Ronda lead the way in the stretch. Check Me Out was on the outside and D’orsay came off cover and was closing four wide. Exercise To Go barreled to the inside and was gaining. But Check Me Out was able to regain 20 lengths to win. Voluptuous Ronda finished second, Exercise To Go was third and D’orsay finished fourth.

Check Me Out is a two-year-old filly by Donato Hanover out of the mare Illusion Bi by Toss Out. She has earned $836,094 this year. She is owned by Ray Schnittker and Charles Iannazzo. Ray Schnittker is the trainer and Tim Tetrick drove her to a 1:58 victory.   

“I just tried to be nice to her, she trotted to the eighth pole good. She overcame my mistake in the first turn. I should of parked everybody to make it easier for her,” driver Tim Tetrick said.

“We’ll bring her back mid-February. We wil make sure she stays healthy, co-owner and trainer Ray Schnittker said.

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.

Freshman Fillies Repugn in Sires Stakes

On Friday, 11 two-year-old trotting fillies in pursuit of the Breeders Crown competed in the $222,536 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes at Chester.

In the first division, Sand Violent Blu (Tom Ridge) turned out victorious, with Delicious finishing second and Carry A Torch was third. Order By Wish (Cantab Hall) and Aldebaran Malibu (Cantab Hall) were seventh and sixth, respectively.  

In the second division, Check Me Out (Donato Hanover) kept her record perfect at seven for seven. Superstar Hanover (Cantab Hall) finished second and Maven finished third. Spicy Mombo (Cantab Hall) went off stride at the top of the stretch. Broadway Beauty (Broadway Hall) broke at the start.

In the third division, Love Walked In (Glidemaster) was victorious. Blue Yonder finished second and a 48-1 Uncommon Night (Donato Hanover) finished third.

In the final division, Real Babe (Donato Hanover) closed hard to win, with Bluff (Donato Hanover) giving way in second and Sculpted Vanity was third.