Held over by popular downstate demand, Yonkers Raceway hosted the $218,200 New York Sires Stakes New Rochelle Trot for three-year-old fillies on Tuesday evening
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Brandnewgirlfriend won her $43,960 division, and in doing so bumped her win streak to four-in-a-row. The daughter of Conway Hall drew the pole and inherited the lead when Social Butterfly and The Ice Queen both misbehaved early. From there, Brandnewgirlfriend and driver Boone Mattison had no problem keeping pocket-sitter - and defending NYSS champ - Shes So Savvy at bay. Fractions of :30, 1:01.2 and 1:31.2 gave the 2-5 choice two lengths to play with turning for home. She maintained that margin to the wire in 1:59.4, with Contag Way third.
For Brandnewgirlfriend, co-owned by trainer Paul Kelley, Jim Winske, Stephen Michaels and East Pond Stable, she picked up her sixth win in seven seasonal starts. The lass has banked more than $68,000 this season.
"She's done pretty much everything we've asked from her," Kelley said. "She had trained down to about 2:15 last season, but wasn't physically mature enough, so we quit with her. I had a bunch down at Spring Garden Ranch (DeLeon Spings, FL) over the winter, and my second trainer, Kevin Constantine, did a very good job with her. When we brought her back, we put the hopples on. She made a break in a qualifier when some dirt flew up and hit her.
"Except for that, she's been on schedule and right there all season,” he added. “Boone is my second trainer up here, and he knows her as well as I do. We paid $80,000 (for Brandnewgirlfriend), so technically, we're not out of the hole but I'm happy with the results."
After all, she is paying her way.
Tuesday night's other NYSS winners were Michelles Way (1:58.3), Serene Yankee (2:00), Big Sky Angelina (1:59.2) and Up In Class (2:01).
(Yonkers Raceway)