by Jonathan Marsh, USTA Web Newsroom Correspondent

Columbus, OH — The sulkies will be let loose on Friday (July 10) during the Zweig Memorial Filly Trot at Tioga Downs as Brandnewgirlfriend seeks her seventh win of the season.

A total of 27 sophomores are slated to start in the Zweig Filly and they have been split into three nine-horse fields, going for $45,447 per division. Brandnewgirlfriend will start from post position nine in the middle of the three divisions, slated for race six on the Tioga card.

Mike Lizzi photo

Brandnewgirlfriend has won four straight races, the last three against New York Sire Stakes competition.

Her trainer/co-owner Paul Kelley is encouraged about the upcoming race.

“I think she’ll show up Friday night and make a good presentation of herself,” Kelley said.

She hasn’t competed since June 23, but Kelley is confident the time gap will work in his favor. He chose not to enter his filly in a recent New York Sire Stakes race at Goshen because it was too soon before Friday’s trot.

“She’s had a nice little break,” he said. “It’ll be a benefit to her.”

Ever since he helped select her when she was young, Kelley’s expectations have been high for Brandnewgirlfriend, a daughter of Conway Hall-Tiffany Gold.

“Early on we really thought she was something special,” he said. “She just reached a point last year where she was getting sore and had some maturing to do.”

These would become the reasons Brandnewgirlfriend was kept from competing as a 2-year-old. Kelley decided it would be better to wait and turn her out. It appears his reasoning now has solid justification with the filly’s seven sophomore starts yielding six wins.

“It’s hard to find the perfect horse,” Kelley said referring to his initial encounter with Brandnewgirlfriend. But he was impressed with her conformation.

“She had a nice head, sharp eye, and an athletic look to her. The parts all seemed to fit together.”

Now that Brandnewgirlfriend has had some time to fling a little dirt on her sulky’s tires, she will be trying for her first big win.

Kelley anticipates that the slight increase in track size, from the half-mile tracks she has competed exclusively on so far this year, to Tioga’s five-eighths-mile oval, will not be an issue.

“I expect her to be a little bit better on a bigger track,” he said. “Once things get settled by the quarter-pole, it pretty much races like a half-mile. She gets around a half real good.”

Kelley admits that Michelle’s Way (Conway Hall-Miss Michelle H) could be a tough filly with a mark this year of 1:57.2, compared to Brandnewgirlfriend’s 1:59.1h.

“She’s going to be a formidable opponent,” Kelley said.

Kelley trains another filly in Friday’s race by the name of Atia, daughter of Conway Hall-Suncoast. She has yet to place higher than second, but her consistency has earned her the right to continue racing.

“Her greatest attribute is that she is good-gaited and can race on any size track,” he said. “She’s a gorgeous filly; she certainly looks the part.”

Brandnewgirlfriend’s preparation continues to encourage Kelley and her other co-owners — Stephen Michaels, Jim Winske, and John Kelley’s East Pond Stable.

“I know that everyone’s coming prepared,” he said. “It’ll be a good little challenge, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Here are the fields for Friday’s Zweig Memorial Filly trot.

Race 5 — Purse: $45,447
PP–Horse–Driver–Trainer
1–Wedding Dress–John Campbell–Chuck Sylvester
2–Celebrity Athena–Marcus Johansson–Staffan Lind
3–Please Lady–Mike Lachance–Ron Gurfein
4–Atia–Wally Hennessey–Paul Kelley
5–Noisy Nellie–Jeff Gregory–Jonas Czernyson
6–She’s So Savvy–Howard Okusko, Jr.–Jessica Okusko
7–Toni’s Wink–Howard Parker–Oyvind Hegdal
8–Whispering Wind–Jim Marohn, Jr.–Roland Mallar
9–I Wanted Wings–Tim Tetrick–Ross Croghan

Race 6 — Purse: $45,447
PP–Horse–Driver–Trainer
1–Gabby’s Gambol–John Campbell–Trond Smedshammer
2–Neith’s Song–Jim Marohn, Jr.–Jonas Czernyson
3–Michelle’s Way–Mike Lachance–Ken Rucker
4–Gift Card–Tim Tetrick–Frank Antonacci
5–So You De Vie–Howard Parker–Oyvin Hedgal
6–On With The Show–Howard Okusko, Jr.–Judith Blaun
7–No Ifs Here–Ray Schnittker–Ray Schnittker
8–Up In Class–Jeff Gregory–Jan Johnson
9–Brandnewgirlfriend–Wally Hennessey–Paul Kelley

Race 7 — Purse: $45,447
PP–Horse–Driver–Trainer
1–Sister Marcy–Howard Okusko, Jr.–David Dewhurst
2–O Dana O–Ray Schnittker–Karen Garland
3–Southwind Wasabi–John Campbell–Chuck Sylvester
4–Porque–Jeff Gregory–Linda Toscano
5–Fleur De Vie–Howard Parker–Oyvind Hegdal
6–Naughty Nana–Wally Hennessey–Brian Connor
7–Lindy’s RN–Tim Tetrick–Frank Antonacci
8–Celebrity Juliet–Mike Lachance–Staffan Lind
9–Valotta–Jim Marohn, Jr.–Jonas Czernyson