Check Me Out, rebounding from her disastrous misstep in
the Hambletonian Oaks, returned to form Friday at The Meadows when she
overpowered a Pennsylvania Sires Stake division in a stakes record 1:53.4.
Superstar Hanover won nearly as impressively in the
other split of the $281,114 event, known as the
Meadow Bright, for three-year-old filly trotters.
In the Oaks,
Check Me Out was in front when, according to her
driver Tim Tetrick, she brushed and spun a knee
boot, which eventually dropped to her foot. She
broke stride and, though she finished third, was
placed eighth for interference. It was the only time
in her 25-race career, which now includes 21
victories, that she’s been worse than second.
“That was a freak deal,” Tetrick said. “She just
took a bad step. Every athlete does it. She was on
her way to victory and took a bad step.”
In the Meadow Bright, Tetrick kept the daughter
of Donato Hanover-Illusion Bi wide until she crossed
over just before the three-eighths. That turned out
to be prescient strategy as two breaking horses
along the cones would have made ducking perilous.
“I wanted to keep her out of harm’s way and give
her a lot of confidence,” Tetrick said. “I wanted
her to make her move whenever she wanted to.”
She was unchallenged thereafter, drawing off to
win by six and three-quarter lengths over Delicious,
with Voluptuous Ronda fourth-placed-third. The time
erased the stake mark of 1:54.2 set two races
earlier by Superstar Hanover.
Ray Schnittker trains Check Me Out and owns with
Charles Iannazzo. With the win, Check Me Out vaulted
over $1.5 million in career purses and earned
Tetrick’s unequivocal praise.
“She’s the best trotter I ever drove,” he said.
Superstar Hanover may have been overshadowed by
Check Me Out, but she padded her strong resume by
reaching $447,051 in lifetime earnings. Much like
Check Me Out, she needed nearly three-eighths to get
the lead but jogged thereafter, downing Real Babe by
five lengths. Southwind Moni finished third.
“I drove her last year, and she was a Cadillac to
drive then,” said winning pilot Dave Palone. “I had
a chance to fall in third, and that’s no good, so as
soon as the dust settled, I moved her back to the
front. That’s a very respectable mile.”
Jimmy Takter trains the daughter of Cantab
Hall-Star Hanover for Christina Takter, John
Fielding and Louie Camara. She was also rebounding
from an early miscue in the Oaks, where she finished
sixth-placed-fifth.
Friday’s card also featured three divisions of a
$60,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series for three-year-old filly trotters.
Upfront Bye Bye provided the highlight when she
shot the Lightning Lane to score in a stake-record
1:56.3, erasing the previous mark of 1:57.2 held
jointly by Photo Charm and Filly Bay.
“She’s actually not good on the lead,” said
winning driver Brian Zendt. “I had to get a couple
horses seated, but I’m glad another horse came at
us. She gets lost on the lead and usually gets beat
on the lead. She likes to follow a helmet for a
while, so that worked out perfect for us. She’s gate
handy — that helps.”
Komma Ka Z was second, one and a quarter lengths
in arrears, with Meadowbranch Jill third.
Bill Zendt trains the daughter of Cantab Hall-Bye
Bye Kerry for Ed Mullinax.
Aldebaran Malibu was severely shuffled but was
able to scoot up the Lightning Lane and triumph in
1:57.2 for Brett Miller, trainer Jonas Czernyson and
owner Aldebaran Park Inc. Early leader Powell Blue
Chip was second by three-quarters of a length, with
Say What third.
“We definitely needed racing luck on our side,”
Miller said of the daughter of Cantab Hall-Malibu
Magic. “But the filly was very good. They told me
she’s normally very hot, but they got this new
driving bit in from Australia and they thought it
would help her. It did. She was ‘two fingers’ to
drive.”
Amitys Lalabye seemed hopelessly out of it as the
field turned for home, three and a half lengths back
with plenty of traffic in front of her. But when two
contenders broke stride, the daughter of Broadway
Hall-Amitys Winner outlasted the others in a :32
final panel to score in 1:58.3.
Did Greg Grismore think he could win at the top
of the stretch?
“Not at all,” Grismore said. “I just got lucky. A
couple of them ran, and a couple got tired. She
trotted okay right through the wire. It was just one
of those things where we were in the right place at
the right time.”
Hooray Katie came up a neck short in second, with
Mariko Hanover third.
Rich Gillock trains Amitys Lalabye for
owner-breeder Bob Key.
Brian Zendt drove four winners on the 15-race
card while Jason Robinson enjoyed a training triple.
Stakes racing at The Meadows resumes Monday with
a $140,000 PA Stallion series event for two-year-old
colt and gelding pacers. First post is 12:55 p.m.
The Meadows 
