Notacatbutallama, the Harlan’s Holiday turf specialist, racked up his fourth added money victory on the green at Belmont Park Saturday, forging ahead in the deep stretch for a half-length victory in the $100,000 Solar Splendor S. for 3-year-olds.
The winner is one of seven stakes winners that have accounted for 11 stakes victories this year for Harlan’s Holiday, who has $4.2 million in progeny earnings this year. The figure is among the top 10 of all North American sires. His 98 winners to date is third-best on the General Sire list.
Notacatbutallama, who won the Grade 3 Hill Prince S., also at Belmont, last month, got hung out three wide in fourth through the first turn of Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile contest on the inner turf course. John Velazquez inched his mount closer down the backstretch and around the final turn. He hooked the pacesetter Joha in upper stretch, and when Velazquez asked Notacatbutallama inside the furlong marker, he pushed past to hit the wire in 1:42.56 on the “good” turf.
Notacatbutallama is now an excellent 5-3-1 in 11 outings. The $60,000 payday lifted his lifetime earnings to $368,334. The Repole Stables colorbearer was purchased by his owner for $105,000 out of the 2012 OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds.
