by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Lexington, KY — The second week of Grand Circuit racing at The Red Mile opened up on Thursday night (Oct. 6) with three $93,000 divisions in the $279,000 International Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

Check Me Out was a 1:53.4 winner in the fastest of the three divisions.

Ray Schnittker and Charles Iannazzo’s Check Me Out continued her impressive freshman campaign, winning for the 10th time in 12 season’s outings with a 1:53.4 clocking in the first division. Tim Tetrick was in the bike for co-owner/trainer Schnittker as the Donato Hanover-Illusion Bi miss lifted her career bankroll to $514,507.

Check Me Out ($2.20) got away third as Feel The Pressure and Ron Pierce took the field past an oipening quarter in :29. But Tetrick was not content to wait and he pulled Check Me Out out of the hole on the backstretch and they powered to the front by the half-mile marker in :57.3.

From there it was game over as Check Me Out opened up a large lead at the 1:26 three-quarter pole and then coasted home an easy winner in 1:53.4. Uncommon Night rallied in the lane to finish second for Brian Sears while Lady Andi and Yannick Gingras were third.

“Well, she was very impressive today; she’s been impressive all year,” said Tetrick. “I’m just so happy to get to drive her, because she is wicked fast and she likes to do her work. She seems like she is getting stronger and stronger and getting racier. She’s a very top filly.

“She can go pretty fast,” added Tetrick. “Her earplugs were still in and she was wrapped up to the wire. Hopefully, that will make her stronger for the Breeders Crown coming up.”

Personal Style lowered her mark to 1:55.3 in the middle division.

In the second division, 49-1 longshot Personal Style came flying down the middle of the racetrack in the stretch to post her second career triumph in a time of 1:55.3. David Miller was in the bike for trainer Nifty Norman as the Yankee Glide-Foxy Victory miss lowered her lifetime mark by more than two seconds. The winner is owned by Brittany Farms and Melvin Hartman. She has now earned $66,450 in 2011.

Oasis Dream and Dave Palone cut the fractions in this race, hitting the quarter in :28.1, the half in :57 and the three-quarters in 1:26.2. As the field hit the top of the stretch, Real Babe and Ray Schnittker pulled out of the pocket and took over the lead.

However, she had no answer for Personal Style, who went right on by and recorded the victory, rewarding her backers with a $100.20 win mutuel. Chilitodayhotamale (Trond Smedshammer) rallied to finish second, while Real Babe had to settle for the show dough.

“She’s always been a nice filly,” said co-owner George Segal. “She’s had a few problems; a little sickness. There’s always a story on horses that come into a race at 49-1. But she had a couple of very good races earlier in the year. This didn’t surprise me at all.

“She’s had a quarter crack; that’s why she was scratched last week (from a Bluegrass division). But, she’s fine.

“She’s eligible to everything (including the Breeders Crown). I don’t know if she’s in a class with the top two fillies — especially the one that raced in the race before (Check Me Out). But we’ll see what happens.”

Nigel Soult photos

Brian Sears drove Win Missy B home in a time of 1:55.

The third and final division saw Robert Key’s Win Missy B get back on the winning track with a wire-to-wire score for driver Brian Sears and trainer Charlie Norris in a time of 1:55. The Conway Hall-Winning Missbrenda lass triumphed for the sixth time in 10 season’s starts, hiking her 2011 bankroll to $388,675.

Sears took Win Missy B right to the top from post five and they set fractions of :29.4, :58.1 and 1:27. Heading down the lane, Win Missy B was razor sharp, trotting a final quarter of :28 to hit the wire in 1:55. Aunt Mel (David Miller) rallied to finish second while On The Bright Side (Dave Palone) took advantage of the pocket trip to finish third.

Bet down to 1-5 by the public, Win Missy B returned a $2.40 win mutuel.

“She’s a very talented filly, great gaited, got a lot of size to her,” said Sears. “She’s a little eager at times, but she’s racy and she does what you ask her.“