Aqueduct: Teen Pauline comes of age with Affectionately score

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - It appeared as though Teen Pauline’s best race was going to be her first race when, as a 2-year-old, she set a track record for five furlongs at Saratoga in the summer of 2012.

Eighteen months later, however, Teen Pauline used her early speed to lead all the way and record her first stakes victory in Wednesday’s $95,000 Affectionately Stakes, the co-feature on Aqueduct’s New Year’s Day card.

Benefitting from the early scratch of expected pace-setter Welcome Guest, Teen Pauline got loose on the lead under Irad Ortiz Jr. and pulled away from three rivals in the stretch to win the Affectionately by 4 3/4 lengths. Centring, the 6-5 favorite, finished second, three-quarters of a length in front of Royal Lahaina. Street Secret finished last.

The win was the third in nine career starts for Teen Pauline, a daughter of Tapit named in honor of owner Barbara Banke’s mother Pauline. Barbara Banke races under the name Stonestreet Stables. In five previous stakes tries, Teen Pauline’s best finish was a third in the Grade 1 Spinaway and a third in the Grade 3 Comely, her most recent start.

Wednesday, the Affectionately was over early as Teen Pauline opened up a two-length advantage through a quarter run in 24.49 seconds and maintained a clear lead through a half-mile in 49.21, six furlongs in 1:14.04, and a mile in 1:39.13. She covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.64.

Teen Pauline returned $8 as the third choice in the four-horse field.

Assistant trainer Byron Hughes said he and Pletcher talked about strategy following the scratch of Welcome Guest and the plan was to have Ortiz put Teen Pauline on the lead.

“The instructions were the filly is supposed to be on the lead,” Ortiz said. “She broke good, I got the lead, she relaxed very good and she was ready today.”

Centring finished second for the third straight race and seventh time in 15 starts. Royal Lahaina, the 8-5 second choice who won the Grade 2 Go for Wand for Pletcher over the main track, broke slowly and was bumped leaving the starting gate.

“That was pretty much the race for her,” Hughes said.