Two-time O'Brien Award winner and world champion Check Me Out earned her first victory of the year on Friday night in an Open event at Saratoga Raceway.
Making the fifth start of her four-year-old campaign for trainer/driver Ray Schnittker, Check Me Out romped to a 1:55.3 four length victory in the $14,000 Open II Trot.
The daughter of Donato Hanover left from post one and quickly opened up multiple lengths on the field in her Saratoga debut. She carved out fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:24.3 while building up a six-length advantage on her seven rivals before coasting home through a :31-second final panel. The winning time came within three-fifths of a second of the track record for aged trotting mares.
The heavy favourite returned $2.90 to win. Justgottogetthere and Easy Strength finished second and third, respectively.
Check Me Out, who is being pointed towards the stakes later in the season including the 2013 Breeders Crown, now holds a career record reading 26-4-3 in 35 starts with $1.87 million in purse earnings for Schnittker and partner Charles Iannazzo.
Majestic Son gelding Count Speed went wire-to-wire to take the $19,260 Open 1 Handicap by four lengths in 1:55.2 for the hot driving and training team of Wally and Dan Hennessey. The duo combined for three victories on the 13-race card while Wally ended the night with five winning drives.
Angus Hall gelding Starlitestarbrite and Jim Devaux converted off a pocket trip to win the $13,000 Open 3 by one and a half lengths in 1:58.1 for conditioner David Russo.