After finishing off the board for the first time in his six-race career in the Penn Mile Stakes June 1 at Penn National Race Course, grade II winner Noble Tune will try to bounce back in the $100,000 Solar Splendor Stakes July 13 at Belmont Park.
After a second-place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, Martin Schwartz and Dell Ridge Farm's Noble Tune opened this season with a victory in an allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs followed by a win in the American Turf Stakes (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs. The Unbridled's Song colt then finished fifth in the Penn Mile.
Trained by Chad Brown, Noble Tune has earned $487,222. Regular rider Javier Castellano has the mount.
The Solar Splender, a 1 1/16-mile overnight stakes for 3-year-olds on the inner turf, has come up strong. Repole Stable's Notacatbutallama enters off a victory in the Hill Prince Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 15 at Belmont, along with grade I winner Joha, grade II winner Balance the Books , and Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) third-place finisher Capo Bastone , a Street Boss colt making his first career turf start.
$100,000 Solar Splendor Stakes (race 7, approximate post time 4:13 p.m. EDT) 3YO, 1 1/16 miles, turf
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Balance the Books (KY), J. Rosario, 122, C. Brown
2. Chamois (KY), J. Alvarado, 118, C. Clement
3. North Slope (KY), L. Saez, 118, K. McLaughlin
4. Capo Bastone (KY), J. Lezcano, 118, T. Pletcher
5. Noble Tune (KY), J. Castellano, 122, C. Brown
6. Front (NY), I. Ortiz Jr., 118, J. Jerens
7. Joha (KY), R. Maragh, 118, T. Albertrani
8. English Minister (MD), D. Cohen, 118, R. Small
9. Notacatbutallama (NY), J. Velazquez, 122, T. Pletcher