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Check the Label much the best in Virginia Oaks

Check the Label was un-catchable in the Virginia Oaks (Jeff Coady/Coady Photography) A pokey pace could not deter Brereton Jones' homebred CHECK THE LABEL (Stormin Fever), who exuded class in coming home an easy 2 3/4-length winner in Saturday's $150,000 Virginia Oaks (G3). Making a triumphant return to Colonial Downs, the site of her maiden victory a year ago, the three-year-old filly earned her third graded win in succession on firm ground, returning $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite. Jockey Ramon Dominguez was content to have the odds-on choice trail the field of eight while Kilmore Quay (Ire) (Traditionally) set a comfortable pace of :25 3/5, :51 4/5 and 1:16. Far from being hampered by the slow splits, Check the Label looked full of run when Dominguez guided her inside rivals rounding the far turn before moving a few paths out for the stretch run. Choosing not to guide her to the far outside, Dominguez instead waited for a seam to open up between rivals in the stretch. When it finally developed, Check the Label inhaled the long-time leader and drew off under moderate urging. The final time for nine furlongs was 1:51 4/5. Kilmore Quay held second by 1 1/2 lengths at 9-1, returning $6.40 and $4.80. In the Rough (Stormy Atlantic), who tracked the pace closely throughout, gave back $5.60 at nearly 20-1 after finishing a half-length ahead of 8-1 chance Midway Holiday (Harlan's Holiday). The exotics were worth $25 (exacta), $224.60 (trifecta) and $864.60 (8-5-6-3 superfecta).

Rounding out the order of finish were Martita Sangrita (Johar), Jungle Tale (Lion Heart), Another Smokey (Heckle) and Frances Gardner (Johar). The Jerry Jamgotchian-owned pair of Distorted Promise (Distorted Humor) and Morekisssesforpatti (Unbridled's Song) were both withdrawn.

Check the Label has spent most of her career on the grass, expressing a clear preference for that surface. Following her 3 1/2-length maiden score over a mile on the Colonial lawn, she made her stakes debut in the Junior Champion S., but she failed to put her best foot forward when the race was transferred to the sloppy Monmouth main track and wound up fourth. She eventually got the chance to run in a turf stakes in the final start of her juvenile campaign, rallying for second in the Caressing H. at Churchill Downs.

Check the Label was again adversely affected by a stakes being rained off the turf in her sophomore debut, the Sweetest Chant S. at Gulfstream, where she checked in a distant third. Back on the grass for her next two, she finished a closing second in the Coconut Grove S. and fourth in the Herecomesthebride S. (G3) before breaking through in the Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland by three parts of a length. Last time, she overcame trouble in the stretch to register a 1 1/2-length victory in the Sands Point S. (G2) at Belmont Park. The Graham Motion trainee's record now stands at 12-5-2-1, $341,227.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the unraced Mazel Trick mare Don't Trick Her, making her a half-sister to stakes queen On the Menu (Canadian Frontier), a juvenile filly named Include Me Out (Include), an unnamed yearling colt by Include and a 2010 filly by Divine Park. Check the Label hails from the immediate family of millionaire Sweet Talker, also by Stormin Fever, who scored her biggest career triumph over Keeneland's turf in the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup (G1). Check the Label's fourth dam is the influential producer *Nato II (*Court Martial), ancestress of such noted performers as Quack (T. V. Lark), It's Freezing (T. V. Commercial), Flemensfirth (Alleged) and Wild Rush (Wild Again).

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