Twenty-seven three-year-old filly trotters, split into three nine-horse divisions, will compete in the Zweig Memorial Filly Trot on Friday at Tioga Downs and Brandnewgirlfriend, who was unraced last season, will look to win her seventh race in eight starts in the second division

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“I think she’ll show up Friday night and make a good presentation of herself,” said trainer/co-owner Paul Kelley. She has not competed since June 23, but Kelley is confident the gap will work in his favour. 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.” Kelley decided it would be better to wait and turn her out.

“It’s hard to find the perfect horse,” Kelley said referring to his initial encounter with Brandnewgirlfriend. “She had a nice head, sharp eye, and an athletic look to her. The parts all seemed to fit together.”

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.”

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.”

(Harness Racing Communications)

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