Affectionately draws nine older fillies and mares

Ozone Park, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Belle Gallantey, winner of the Beldame and Delaware Handicaps, is the 7-5 morning line favorite for New Year’s Day’s $100,000 Affectionately Stakes for fillies and mares at Aqueduct.

Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, Belle Gallantey will get the riding services for the 1 1/16-mile stakes of Irad Ortiz Jr. and start from post 9 in the nine- horse field. Ortiz replaces older brother Jose in the saddle for the Affectionately.

Belle Gallantey, owned by Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables, racked up five wins from eight starts in 2014 with impressive victories in the Del ‘Cap and Beldame Invitational. The 6-year-old chestnut mare was ninth to Untapable in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1. Earlier in the year she was fifth in the Ogden Phipps and sixth in the Personal Ensign.

A veteran of 44 career starts, Belle Gallantey has earned $1,111,270 with nine wins, 12 seconds and seven thirds.

Here is the field for the Affectionately in post position order: Simply Spectacular, Ruben Silvera, 30-1; Shayjolie, Jose Ortiz, 12-1; Penwith, Fernando Jara, 3-1; Mylitta, Angel Arroyo, 30-1; America, Junior Alvarado, 9-2; Agawa, Charles C. Lopez, 15-1; Divided Attention, Dylan Davis, 3-1; Moment in Dixie, Manuel Franco, 7-2 and Belle Gallantey, Irad Ortiz Jr., 7-5.

Simply Spectacular and Mylitta are an entry. Penwith and Divided Attention are an entry.

Post time for the Affectionately will be approximately 1:20 p.m. ET.

Categorized in: Horses