Meadowlands: Check Six delivers at 38-1 in Sam McKee Memorial

On paper Check Six may have been an outsider, but driver Yannick Gingras has the hot hand on Hambletonian Day, and he guided the 38-1 shot to a dramatic victory in the $224,400 Sam McKee Memorial at the Meadowlands.

It was Mel Mara and driver Corey Callahan taking little chances in this mile and one-eighth event. The 7-5 choice blasted out quickly and took control from All Bets Off prior to the opening quarter in a reasonable 26 2/5.

Mel Mara had no challengers in the early stages, and Callahan kept the tempo lively with fractions of 54 1/5 and 1:21 1/5. Mach It So, the Haughton Memorial winner a few weeks back, came up without cover to put pressure on the favorite on the final turn, and Gingras had Check Six right on his back.

In mid-stretch it still looked as if Mel Mara would prevail, as the favorite clicked the mile in 1:48 1/5 and tried to draw off. Check Six and Gingras had tipped wide in mid-stretch, though, and the 4-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere ate up ground in a hurry and quickly overtook the pace-setter to actually draw clear by two lengths on the wire in a final clocking of 2:02 1/5. Mel Mara finished second, with Mach It So holding third and Boston Red Rocks finishing fourth.

Check Six returned $79 for a $2 win wager for winning trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, William Switala and James Martin.

"He's had a lot of trouble trips this year. We drew the second tier in the Haughton and he didn't have a chance," said Gingras after the race.

It was only the second win as a 4-year-old for Check Six, a millionaire in 2016 when he won 11 races.