Notacatbutallama Wins Grade III Hill Prince Stakes Thanks to Velazquez
By Bill Heller
Just a day after scoring his 5,000th career victory, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez
showed why he was able to reach the lofty plateau. In an absolute magnificent ride from the 12 post,
he rallied Repole Stable’s New York-bred Notacatbutallama to a neck victory over longshot Play It
Loud in the $150,000 Grade III Hill Prince Stakes for three-year-olds at one mile on grass.
Notacatbutallama had won two ungraded stakes before winning his first graded one
Saturday. Sent off at 9-2 from the outside post of a dozen three-year-olds, he broke well, then
settled in seventh on the inside.
Shiny Copper led Special Skills, Joha and Red Rocker early as Velazquez bided his time with
Notacatbutallama.
Seeing room on the inside heading into the far turn, he moved up Notacatbutallama
sharply into fourth, then angled him outside for a clear run to the wire. Meanwhile, Cornelio
Velasquez had rallied Play It Loud, a 36-1 longshot making just his third lifetime start, into contention
inside of Notacatbutallama. Play It Loud fought gamely right to the wire, but Notacatbutallama
narrowly prevailed by a neck in 1:34.82. Chamois finished third at 12-1 and Red Rifle, the 2-1 favorite
making his grass debut in only his third lifetime start, was fourth.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Notacatbutallama improved his record four wins, two seconds
and one third in eight grass starts. He also has one second in his only dirt start, which came on a
sloppy track. The son of Harlan’s Holiday out of Self Rising by Hansel, who was bred by Happy Hill
Farm, upped his career earnings to more than $300,000.
His victory, like two other earlier victories by New York-breds at Belmont Saturday,
produced three hefty payoffs: a $451 exacta, a $4,808 triple and a $23,069 triple.
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Luis Saez got Tina Marie Bond’s second-time starter Orino up between horses to narrowly
win a seven-furlong $55,000 New York-bred maiden race on turf. Orino, a three-year-old gelding
trained by Tina’s husband Jim, edged Here Comes Tommy by a half-length with front-running Gentle
Jim just another neck behind in third.
Orino, a son of Raffie’s Majesty out of Musical by El Gran Senor, who was bred by Song Hill
Thoroughbreds, was freshened off a decent fourth at 10-1 in his debut. He went off 5-1 Saturday.
Gentle Jim, who went off at 6-1 under Irad Ortiz Jr., immediately took the lead in the field of
12 and posted splits of :22.33, :47.03 and 1:11.33. He got a bit leg-weary late as Orino and Here
Comes Tommy surged by just before the wire. Orino got the seven furlongs in 1:23.77.
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Daniel Sullivan III’s New York-bred gelding Suilleabhain, who hadn’t finished in the
money in six previous starts on grass, won Saturday’s opener at 26-1 by 2 ½ lengths. He was one of
the biggest longshots in a field of 10 contesting a mile and a sixteenth $31,000 conditional $20,000
claimer on the inner turf course.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Suilleabhain, a four-year-old gelding by Sunriver out of Crystal Lady by
Stop the Music, who was bred by Rhapsody Farm and Sunriver Syndicate and is trained by Gary
Sciacca.
Ortiz kept Suilleabhain off the pace set by an even bigger longshot, 52-1 Jackin My Style,
who was pressured on the lead by 23-1 Nelson Avenue. Javier Castellano had El Corriente, the 7-5
favorite, in a perfect spot third. El Corriente willingly took the lead in early stretch, while Suilleabhain
and Manacor moved up on the outside and Mr Algebra rallied along the hedge.
Suilleabhain kicked clear past the sixteenth pole and won handily over Manacor, who nosed
out Mr Algebra for second. El Corriente tired to fourth.
Suilleabhain paid $55.50 to win and keyed an $853 exacta, a $5,567 triple and a superfecta
worth $15,482.
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Perhaps drawing inspiration from Suilleabhain’s victory earlier Saturday, Stonehearted Chic
Stable’s homebred Stone Rocks, a 25-1 longshot, edged a very game, front-running first-time starter
Stop Sign by three-quarters of a length to win a $45,000 New York-bred maiden $50,000 claimer for
three-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs.
Stop Signs, who went off at 7-1 from the rail beneath Irad Ortiz Jr., broke a step behind
Bustin Chops, then rushed up the rail to take command. He posted a quarter in :22.26 and a half in
:46.11. He hit the three-quarters in 1:10.82 but couldn’t withstand Stone Rocks, who rallied boldly
under Abel Lezcano to got the job done in 1:17. Stop Sign was four lengths clear of Horatio, the 2-1
favorite, in third.
Stone Rocks, a son of Stonesider out of Tough City Girl by Good and Tough, was making
his seventh career start for trainer Steve Jerkens.
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Saturday’s finale was won by yet another longshot. Junior Alvarado rallied owner/trainer
Randy Persaud’s three-year-old colt Song of Aspen to a long neck victory Purple Pico in a sixfurlong $28,000 New York-bred maiden $20,000 claimer.
A drop from maiden special weights to maiden claimers got Song of Aspen to the winner’s
circle for the first time in his 13th career start at odds of 11-1. He got the six furlongs in 1:11.86.
Song of Aspen is a son of Prime Timber out of Disco Vixen by Key Contender who was bred
by Tracy Egan.
Song of Aspen keyed a $198 exacta, a $1,258 triple and a $3,489 superfecta.
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At Suffolk Downs Saturday, Christopher Trakas’ four-year-old New York-bred gelding
Mighty One was incredibly brave to win a $20,000 allowance/optional $20,000 claimer at one mile
and 70 yards on grass.
Mighty One dueled with Perfect Joiski the length of the backstretch as the favorite Olympus
sat in third. When Mighty One finally put away Perfect Joiski, Olympus moved up to him as if he’d
run right by. But Mighty One wasn’t done and fought him every step to the wire to win by a neck in
1:43 2/5.
Mighty One is a son of Macho Uno out of Behrnik by Chimes Band who was bred by Kaz
Hill Farm and Adena Springs. Though he’d won two of 16 dirt starts, Mighty One hadn’t hit the board
in two previous turf tries.
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Owner/trainer Charlie Baker’s entry of Seek to Destroy and Delastmanstanding
dominated a $22,000 New York-bred allowance sprint at Finger Lakes Saturday by running 1-2.
Seek to Destroy, ridden by Wilfredo Rohena, prevailed over his stable-mate by 2 ½ lengths in a fast
1:10.96 for six furlongs.
The victory was Seek to Destroy’s sixth in 30 starts with five seconds and two thirds. The
son of Greeley’s Galaxy out of Miz Pickens by Pine Bluff was bred by Sugar Maple Farm.
FRIDAY JUNE 14th
Concealed Gets the Job Done Friday at 4-5
By Bill Heller
Paul Pompa Jr.’s three-year-old filly Concealed, who’d finished a close second with blinkers
added just six days earlier, drew off from a game Therapy to win a $55,000 New York-bred maiden
sprint for fillies and mares by two lengths at 4-5 Friday at Belmont Park in a race taken off the turf.
Only five horses contested the race after the surface switch on the first Friday summer
twilight card which began with a first post of 3 p.m. instead of 1:05.
Concealed, a daughter of Officer out of Royal Thief by Cat Thief, was bred by Ed Lipton and
is trained by David Jacobson. She had two seconds, a pair of thirds and a fourth in her five starts
before Friday.
With Junior Alvarado contributing a smart ride, Concealed sat off a pace battle between
Therapy and Amazing Abby. They battled down the backstretch, around the far turn and into the
stretch as Concealed moved up to be a closer third. When asked by Alvarado, Concealed overtook
Therapy, who held on well for second after putting Amazing Abby away. Concealed covered the six
furlongs in 1:12.77.
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New York-bred Indy Tune’s first start off the claim was a winning one for owners Saul and
Max Kupferberg. Given a six-week freshening by new trainer John Parisella off a game second when
claimed for $14,000, Indy Tune won a $30,000 conditional $15,000 claimer by 1 ¾ lengths under Joel
Rosario as the 2-1 favorite.
Indy Tune got away second as Political Justice, the 3-1 third choice on the rail, set the
pace in the one-mile race. Political Justice set sharp splits, a quarter in :22.58 and a half in :45.60,
opening a four-length lead in the process. But the rest of the field began closing in after Political
Justice reached three-quarters in 1:10.46.
Rosario timed his move perfectly, and Indy Tune took over the lead, then held sway by
nearly two lengths over Dan and Sheila, who rallied for second at 5-1. Artie Luvsto Party, the 5-2
second choice, finished another length and a quarter behind in third.
Indy Tune covered the mile in 1:36.55 for her fifth career victory in 32 starts with three
seconds and six thirds and over $170,000 in earnings. The five-year-old gelding by Suave, out of
Angela’s Tune by Two Punch, was bred by John Cracchiolo.
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At Finger Lakes Friday, trainer/breeder and co-owner Michael Lecesse’s four-year-old filly
Mom’s Law made an impressive three-wide move on the far turn on the way to a powerful 4 ¼length victory in a one-mile $23,000 allowance race for New York-bred fillies and mares.
The filly, who is co-owned by My Purple Haze Stables, was the narrowest of favorites at 5-2
in a field of eight over My Honey Laurie, who also went off at 5-2.
She’s My Image, an 8-1 outsider, tried going gate-to-wire as Pedro Rodriguez let Mom’s
Law drop back from second to third. Heading into the final turn, Pride of Paris went after the frontrunner two-wide while Mom’s Law accelerated three-wide. Mom’s Law came out of the turn full of
run and opened up, scoring easily over 18-1 longshot Mo’s Mishap and My Honey Laurie.
Mom’s Law is a daughter of Andromeda’s Hero out of Brushed With Gold by Touch Gold
who now has four wins, one second and three thirds in 10 starts and earnings of nearly $100,000.