Check Me Out and Tim Tetrick
World champion Check Me Out overcame breaking stride in the first turn then made up approximately 24 lengths to win the first of four Matron Stakes final for 2-year-olds at Dover Downs on Saturday (Nov. 12). It was one of three Matron finals won by Tim Tetrick who completed the program driving five winners.
In the $129,050 Matron Filly final, Check Me Out eased away from the starting gate third with several horses on the outside as the field reached the first turn. Shortly after Check Me Out broke stride with Tetrick bringing the filly to a halt, steadying her and then back trotting with the trailing filly about two-dozen length ahead.
It took until mid-backstretch before they could catch the field. The daughter of Donato Hanover-Illusion Bi was sent three-wide, picking up horses along the way. She dashed down the lane with two horses to beat and caught them with a short neck to spare in 1:58.
Tetrick realized he made a tactical mistake not letting the world champion filly trot right away from post 1 at the start. “I just tried to be nice to her,” he said. “She trotted to the eighth pole good. [Check Me Out] overcame my mistake in the first turn. I should have parked everybody to make it easier for her.”
The win was the 14th in 16 races for owners Charles Iannazzo and trainer Ray Schnittker. ”I knew at the start there would be trouble,” Schnittker said. “I saw that [Tetrick] had to double her up in the middle of a bunch of horses. I know she’s a great mare and I didn’t know if she could beat them after being back so far.” The victory ups Check Me Out’s seasonal bankroll to $900,619. Voluptuous Ronda (Ross Wolfenden) finished second in front of Exercise To Go (David Miller) third. (Dover Downs)