|
|
Notacatbutallama packs a punch in Hill Prince One day after recording his 5,000th career win aboard Repole Stable's Galloping Giraffe, Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez guided Notacatbutallama to victory for the same connections in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Hill Prince at Belmont Park. The Todd Pletcher trainee delivered a well-timed move to collar the 36-1 Play It Loud by a neck, and earned his first graded score. This "animal theme" is a fitting warm-up for Velazquez, who will fly to England to ride Animal Kingdom in Tuesday's Queen Anne at Royal Ascot. Notacatbutallama had captured the Incurable Optimist over this same Widener turf and one-mile trip last October, and added the Super Mario at Aqueduct by 3 1/2 lengths next time out. The Harlan's Holiday colt then unsuccessfully switched to dirt, finishing second versus fellow New York-breds in the December 9 Damon Runyon and a subpar sixth in the January 5 Jerome, before heading to the sidelines. Reverting to turf in his comeback in the May 18 James W. Murphy at Pimlico, he checked in third as the 2-1 favorite. On Saturday, Notacatbutallama was sent off as the 9-2 third choice, with 2-1 favoritism instead going to stablemate Red Rifle, who was making his turf debut. But Notacatbutallama was a different proposition in this second start back and proved the market wrong. Breaking widest of all from post 12, Velazquez dropped his mount back off the pace, and unlike at Pimlico, got him to rate kindly. Up front, Shining Copper had sprinted to a clear lead through honest fractions of :23 1/5, :46 2/5 and 1:10 2/5. Special Skills headed up the chasing group, with Breeders' Futurity winner Joha also prominent in his belated sophomore bow for new trainer Tom Albertrani. Play It Loud threaded his way through with a nifty move along the inside, and angled out to launch his challenge turning for home. Notacatbutallama followed in his wake, saving ground on the turn, and tipped out wider for the drive. The eventual winner and Play It Loud soon drew off from the weakening Shining Copper. Although the upside-minded Play It Loud dug in determinedly, Notacatbutallama had his measure in a final time of 1:34 4/5 on the good course. "Johnny knows the horse really well," Pletcher said. "I just told him that I thought he had been training much better since the Murphy. I think he moved forward from the race. We were a little concerned with the outside post, just trying to get some position, and he was able to tuck in and save a little ground along the way." "Last time we were in post 1, today we're in post 12," Velazquez recapped. "He broke well, then I had to get him back to drop inside. Once I dropped in, I was comfortable where I was and let him settle. He got to the turn, and I saw that horse (Play It Loud) laying second. I liked that horse, I broke his maiden in Florida, so when he started moving out, I moved out with him and made a nice run down the lane." Play It Loud was a clear second by 1 1/2 lengths from the late-running Chamois. Red Rifle got up for fourth. "I thought (Red Rifle) was a bit even," Pletcher said. "I expected him to be a bit closer and more involved early. Javier (Castellano) said he wasn't quite into the bridle as he was in his dirt and synthetic races. He continued to close willingly, but he never had that explosive turn of foot that was needed on the grass today." Next came Sayaad, who stumbled at the start; 9-2 second choice Infinite Magic, who was bumped by Sayaad out of the gate; Shining Copper; Michael With Us; Special Skills; Joha; Bernie the Jet; and tailed-off English shipper Red Rocker. Notacatbutallama rewarded his backers with payouts of $11.80, $6.50 and $4.20, and improved his record to 10-4-3-1, $308,334. A smashing, 6 1/2-length winner of a state-bred maiden on the Saratoga turf last August, he ran an even fourth in his stakes debut in the With Anticipation. Notacatbutallama took a step forward when best of the rest behind Noble Tune in the October 8 Pilgrim over Belmont's inner turf, and continued his progress with consecutive stakes wins in the Incurable Optimist and Super Mario. Bred by Happy Hill Farm in the Empire State, Notacatbutallama first sold for $50,000 at Fasig-Tipton's New York-bred Preferred Yearlings Sale, and later fetched $105,000 from his current owner as an OBS April two-year-old. The bay is out of the stakes-placed Hansel mare Self Rising and comes from the family of Grade 2 hero Flashpoint, multiple Grade 3 queen Feline Story and multiple Japanese stakes winner Eishin Cameron. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
