Two-year-old trotting fillies were in the spotlight in the Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile on Thursday evening, and fans were treated to a marquee match-up in the opening division
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Win Missy B and Check Me Out – the top two finishers in this year’s Peaceful Way Stakes - renewed their rivalry in the first split, with the latter getting the upper hand in the $109,100 tilt.
Tim Tetrick hustled Check Me Out to the early lead, and she sliced out the opening quarter in a :28-second clip before coming under attack. Win Missy B sprinted to the lead in the backstretch, and she cruised to the lead without a tussle and supplied the field with middle panels of :55.2 and 1:25. Tetrick angled Check Me Out back to the outside at the head of the lane, and the daughter of Donato Hanover-Illusion B forged past the leader and drew away to an easy score in a career-best clocking of 1:53.3. Win Miss B was the best of the rest, with Lady Andi finishing a distant third.
Trainer Ray Schnittker co-owns Check Me Out, who was sent off as the 3-5 choice, with Charles Iannazzo of Tappan, NY. The victory improved the freshman’s record to 9-2-0 in 11 tries, and the lion’s share of the purse boosted her earnings to $464,358.
She Wears It Well pulled off a 29-1 shocker in the second division for the tandem of driver Ron Pierce and trainer Noel Daley. The daughter of Andover Hall-Ever A Lady rallied for the maiden-breaking score in an impressive time of 1:55.3.
Cant Be Seduced took the fillies to the quarter-pole in :28.4 before giving way to the race favourite, On The Bright Side. That popular pacesetter had the field behind her at the mid-way point in a :58-second clip, but she felt solid pressure from She Wears It Well around the final turn. They were together at the three-quarter pole in 1:27.2, but She Wears It Well edged away and eventually drew off to win by a comfortable margin in the $108,100 contest. Anandamide shot up the rail to claim the runner-up spot, with Cant Be Seduced re-rallying to finish third.
Charles Stillings of Indianapolis, Indiana owns the lightly-raced miss, who was facing the gate for just the seventh time in her career. The $18,000 purchase from last year’s Harrisburg Yearling has banked $70,808 to date.
Maven got the job done as the 8-5 favourite in the third division, and in doing so she improved her rookie record to 6-0-1 in eight starts. The Glidemaster- M Stewart miss watched Kissnmakup Hanover and Chilitodayhotamale trot in tandem past the quarter-pole in :30.1 before the latter was released to the lead. Yannick Gingras rallied Maven first-over and challenged Chilitodayhotamale to the half in a :58-second clip. Maven eventually cleared and sped past the third marker in 1:27.4 before using a :28.4 final frame to hold on for a narrow score over the hard-closing Southwind Moni. Kissnmakup Hanover re-emerged to claim the show dough.
Jonas Czernyson conditions the youngster for W J Donovan of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Maven, who was purchased for $37,000 at last year’s Lexington Select Yearling Sale, has banked $131,906 to date.