Aqueduct: Notacatbutallama looks logical in Duluth

Sunday’s program at Aqueduct is front-loaded with two $100,000 overnight stakes routes, with the Duluth for 3-year-old grass horses leading off the card and the Slew o’ Gold positioned as race 3.

Nine entered the Duluth, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf, headed by Notacatbutallama, an overachieving colt who has earned back his $50,000 sale price as a yearling more than ten-fold for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher.

The versatile and consistent Notacatbutallama has won five stakes, including an overnight event on the Aqueduct course last fall, and Grade 3 wins over the summer on grass and in the slop. He has already beaten four of Sunday’s opponents at least once.

“He’s not real big and he thinks he’s big,” Pletcher said.

Notacatbutallama returns to 3-year-old company after a tough trip in the Mohawk behind King Kreesa, the top New York-bred grass horse in training.

“He was unfortunate to miss the break,” Pletcher said. “Our goal was to come away in a stalking position. Unfortunately, he came away last. He tried to save some ground and encountered some traffic, and I thought he did extremely well to get up for third.”

Trip handicappers will be all over North Slope, whose trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, celebrated his 53rd birthday Friday.

North Slope, a Darley Stable homebred, was buried along the inside turning for home in the Oct. 24 Basket Weave, finished fastest of all but was a nose short of catching, Joha, last year’s Breeders’ Futurity winner.

Joha earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 90 for that win. However, he enjoyed a clear lead and may feel more early pressure this time.

Make It Gold exits a front-running victory for Jason Servis, and Wind of Bosphorus steps up after being claimed from a pace-pressing win by John Toscano, whose eight wins at Belmont’s fall meet tied him for eighth in the standings.

“Two of my primary owners are expanding,” said Toscano, who haltered Wind of Bosphorus for Bran Jam Stable. “This year has been exciting. It’s exciting when you’re doing well, not so much when you’re not.”

Chamois, who earned his maiden and first-level allowance wins on this course for Christophe Clement, was beaten slightly more than a length by Joha and North Slope in the Basket Weave.

Mills, Tattenham, and Vinny Goodtimes also entered.

Eight older males went in the Slew o’ Gold on the main track, with Aussi Austin, Don Dulce, and Percussion likely to vie for favoritism in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Don Dulce beat Aussi Austin by a nose at Saratoga, and they met again at Belmont a few weeks later, when both were compromised by a slow pace set by the eventual winner.

Don Dulce was claimed out of that race for $100,000 by David Jacobson and returned later at the meet to run a close second in the I’m A Banker overnight stakes.

Aussi Austin subsequently went to Laurel Park for Rudy Rodriguez, where he finished second to Bo Strikes Back, who has found a new lease on life since switched to grass and ships in to run later on Aqueduct’s Sunday program.

The Pletcher-trained Percussion was cooked in a hard pace duel when odds-on against Don Dulce most recently, but is eligible to rebound if able to shake loose early from post 2.

Atigun, Bigger Is Bettor, Fast Falcon, Quick Casablanca, and Romancing the Gold complete the field.