Co-featured on the Friday night card at Tioga Downs is the Zweig Memorial Trot for 3-year old filly trotters, with 27 seven sophomore fillies split into three nine-horse fields going for $45,447 per division. Fifteen of the 27 are eligible for the Hambletonian Oaks, seven of which are in the first division slated for race number five on the card.
Leading what looks to be the strongest division for the fillies is Whispering Wind and Mike Simons for trainer Roland Mallar. The 3-year old Broadway Hall-Wild Pine filly has posted four wins in seven starts that include two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes victories at The Meadows. In her last start Whispering Wind came first over to win by more than four lengths in 1:55.4. Looking to rebound from an usual miscue at Goshen is 2008 New York Sire Stakes Champion She’s So Savvy. The 3-year old Malabar Man-Twitty filly is trained by Jessica Okusko and is driven by Howard Okusko Jr. Thus far in 2009 She’s So Savvy has posted two wins, a second, and a third in five starts with a mark of 1:58.1 in a qualifier at Vernon Downs.
In the second divison Michelle’s Way will look to make it three in a row in New York. The 3-year old Conway Hall-Miss Michelle H filly has posted a 50-percent win rate in 2009 by posting three wins in six starts for trainer Ken Rucker. The $95,000 yearling filly has drawn post position three, and Jim Morrill Jr. has been listed on the driving assignment.
Brandnewgirlfriend will be seeking her fifth win in a row on Friday night for trainer Paul Kelley, but will have to do so from post position nine. The Conway Hall-Tiffany Gold daughter was purchased for $80,000 at the Harrisburg yearling sale in 2007, but was un-raced as a 2 year old. Brandnewgirlfriend has posted three straight New York Sire Stakes victories including one at Buffalo Raceway and two at Yonkers.
In the third and final division, Southwind Wasabi, who finished third in last year’s $700,000 Breeders Crown to Honorable Daughter will look for victory. The Windsong’s Legacy-Winky’s Star filly was purchased for just $22,000 at the Harrisburg sale in 2007 and has banked over $169,000 already in just 13 lifetime starts. John Campbell has been listed to drive by trainer and co-owner Chuck Sylvester. Below are the fields for the three divisions of the Zweig Filly Trot.