Affectionately

Affectionately (April 26, 1960 – 1979) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.

Background

She was sired by 1956 American Horse of the Year Swaps, out of the exceptional racing mare Searching. Searching's dam was Big Hurry, by Black Toney out of the best "Blue Hen" mare of them all, La Troienne. Searching's sire was War Admiral, winner of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, whose own sire was Man o' War .

Foaled on April 26, 1960 at the farm of Dr. Charles Hagyard near Lexington, Kentucky, she was bred by the partnership of owner/trainer Hirsch Jacobs and Isidor Bieber.

Racing career

Campaigned under the name of Jacobs' wife Ethel, Affectionately won nine of her first ten starts as a two-year-old. In the Matron Stakes she was finally beaten by Smart Deb.

At ages three and four Affectionately was very good, winning two Interborough Handicaps, the Vosburgh, and the Correction Handicap. When she turned five, however, she gained the successes that put her on the list of the 100 best racehorses of the twentieth century. Under high weights, she took the Top Flight Handicap, the Vagrancy Handicap and a number of other important stakes races. She retired sound with eighteen stakes wins, one of only two females to break the half-million-dollar earnings mark.