Rydilluc seeking firmer ground in Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame will be Rydilluc's fifth meeting with Charming Kitten, a

homebred son of Kitten's Joy who races for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. The Todd

Pletcher trainee was runner-up to Rydilluc in the Palm Beach and Penn Mile, but

outfinished that rival in both the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Virginia

Derby.

"He's run really well, and we were just a little unfortunate the other day

(in the Virginia Derby) when he just missed," Pletcher said. "He consistently

shows up and runs hard every time. It's just been unfortunate. I think he's

coming up to this in really good order."

Pletcher will also saddle Notacatbutallama, who comes in off back-to-back

stakes wins in the Hill Prince and the Solar Splendor at Belmont. The most

experienced member of the field with 11 starts, the Harlan's Holiday colt broke

his maiden over the Saratoga turf last summer.

"He showed a lot of talent right from the beginning," Pletcher said. "He just

seems to keep getting better and better. The thing that seems a little different

with him this year as opposed to last is that he's learned to polish off a race.

He's had a tendency to make the lead at times and idle a little bit, but now

he's beginning to finish up well."

Balance the Books, winless in four starts since taking both the With

Anticipation at Saratoga and the Bourbon at Keeneland last term, was a rallying

third behind a slow pace in the July 13 Solar Splendor last time. Also exiting

that race is the Darley homebred North Slope, who was fifth after getting

squeezed at the start. A sharp winner of a key Belmont allowance two back, the

Elusive Quality colt will don blinkers for the first time in the Hall of Fame.

The supporting feature on Friday's card is the $100,000

Alada, a

restricted nine-furlong test for fillies and mares. Probable favorites include

Flashy American, And Why Not, and Sea Island, all of whom have placed in graded

stakes this season.

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