Repole Stable’s Notacatbutallama (Harlan’s Holiday), who has yet to turn in a poor effort in four well-contested career starts, finished a strong second to favorite Noble Tune in Monday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Pilgrim Stakes for 2-year-olds, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Belmont Park. Originally scheduled for Sunday, the Pilgrim was moved to Columbus Day by weekend rains.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Notacatbutallama had already proven himself capable both at the Pilgrim distance of 1 1/16 miles (at which he broke his maiden) and in graded company (with a solid fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 With Anticipation at Saratoga). On Monday he passed the test of dealing with less than firm turf conditions with flying colors on Belmont’s “yielding” inner course.
In the early going Notacatbutallama (7-2 third choice) was content to settle in sixth position at the hedge under regular pilot John Velazquez, as Special Skills showed the way on a largely uncontested lead.
Advancing on the inside to fourth rounding the far turn, Notacatbutallama swung out two-wide at the top of the stretch and gained second position behind the pacesetter momentarily, just before 6-5 favorite Noble Tune made his way to the lead after a wide sweeping move.
In the final furlong Notacatbutallama circled the early pacesetter, launched a good late kick and finished well to cross the wire 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner and 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Special Skills. After moderate early fractions over the yielding going, the winner’s final time for the eight and a half furlongs was 1:47.91.
Notacatbutallama’s first graded stakes placing improves his record to 1-2-0 in four starts and increases his earnings to $92,000.
Runner-up in his Saratoga debut on August 2, Notacatbutallama broke his maiden by an impressive 6 1/2 lengths on August 20 going long on turf at Saratoga in state-bred company. Meeting Grade 2 rivals on short rest in the With Anticipation next out on August 30, he contended throughout and finished fourth behind Balance the Books, now a multiple graded stakes winner, Joha a newly-minted Grade 1 winner and Charming Kitten.
A fourth generation product of Happy Hill Farm breeding, Notacatbutallama was foaled at Sue and Gary Lundy’s Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains. He is one of five foals to start and the third winner out of Self Rising, a stakes-placed daughter of Hansel.
The colt first sold as a 2011 Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred Saratoga yearling for $50,000 to Nick de Meric, who turned him around as a two-year-old at the OBS Spring sale, where he was purchased by Repole Stables for $105,000.
Self Rising currently has a yearling filly by Mineshaft, purchased at this year’s Saratoga New York-bred sale by Justin Casse for $20,000, no reported foal this year, and was bred in 2012 to Girolamo.
