Retired 'Llama' gets new lease on life

by Jenny Kellner

Each year, hundreds of thoroughbreds move on to new homes and new careers after they are retired from the racetrack. But few have generated as much joy as multiple stakes winner Notacatbutallama, who earlier this month started his second life in the care of his biggest fan.

Back up to August 2012, when the New York-bred son of Harlan's Holiday made his debut at Saratoga Race Course for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher. Like everyone else, Alysse Jacobs, the assistant director of horsemen's relations at the New York Racing Association, was intrigued by the colt's name (more on that later). She made her way down the paddock to watch the youngster being saddled, and from that moment on nothing was the same.

"You expect all of Todd's horses to be good looking, but what I didn't expect was for 'Llama' to be the cutest thing I ever saw," said Jacobs after seeing the dark bay with the big white blaze for the first time. "I fell in love with him right there, and from then on, I was a fan."

Notacatbutallama would finish second in his debut, and three weeks later went on to post a 6 ½-length victory over fellow state-breds before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 With Anticipation at the end of the month. At every juncture, Jacobs was there to root him on, and by virtue of her position and Pletcher's good nature, was able to visit him at the barn in the mornings. Frequently.

"He is just so sociable," said Jacobs. "He loves other horses, he loves people ... he's got a great personality."

By the end of his juvenile season, Notacatbutallama had picked up a couple of stakes wins, and his 3-year-old campaign would encompass victories in the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont Park and an off-the-track edition of the Grade 3 Hall of Fame at the Spa that led to his being voted New York-bred 3-year-old champion. Even before then, Repole was well aware of Jacobs' devotion to the horse.

"You'd walk into her office and there were pictures of two horses: Zenyatta, and Notacatbutallama," he said. "She had a llama shirt she'd wear when he ran. I love all my horses, but I don't know I've ever had someone love one more than I did."

'The Llama' - who got his name during a game of Taboo when Repole, trying elicit the word 'dog' from his wife Maria, said "Not a cat but a....?", to which she replied, "Llama!" - returned to race as a 4-year-old, but never made it back to his stakes-winning level. He would win only one race in 2014, an allowance at Saratoga, for which, in his absence, Repole instructed Pletcher to allow Jacobs to lead Notacatbutallama into the winner's circle.

"I couldn't believe it," said Jacobs. "There I was, not only leading a horse into the winner's circle at Saratoga Race Course, but leading my absolute favorite horse into the winner's circle."

At the time, it was the highlight of Jacobs' relationship with the horse, although Repole had always told her when Notacatbutallama was retired, he would give him to her.

"I never started even remotely thinking it was a possibility until he was gelded after his 4-year-old season," said Jacobs. "There's no way it could have happened if he's been intact."

Winless at age 5 - but with Jacobs cheering him on every start - Notacatbutallama came back in 2016 and won his 6-year-old debut, a one-mile optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. He later finished second, beaten five lengths in a four-horse allowance field in April at Aqueduct Racetrack, but after three straight off-the-board finishes Repole and Pletcher agreed it was time for the Llama to be retired.

"The last three, four, five months he was back to training so good, we were thinking of bringing him back for one more round at Saratoga next year," said Repole. "But we knew we wanted to give him a good home. And we knew Alysse was not only a horse lover, but a 'Llama' lover. It's always a great thrill to retire a horse that's sound, whether to New Vocations or to a farm, but to retire a horse to someone who loves him maybe more than I do, that's something special."

In late September, Repole walked past Jacobs in the paddock of Belmont Park, then turned and called her back.

"By the way, we're retiring Llama," he told her. "He's yours."

In shock, Jacobs turned to Pletcher.

"Is he serious?" she asked the trainer.

"He is," Pletcher replied.

After the requisite paperwork, Jacobs took possession of Notacatbutallama on October 11, leading him off the horse van at his new home in Dix Hills, about a half-hour east of Belmont Park.  There, he will take a few weeks off to get used to his new routine before Jacobs embarks on training him to be a hunter/jumper.

"I still find it hard to believe he's mine," she said. "I've been riding since I was little, but he is my first horse. The fact my first horse is my favorite horse is just amazing. I'm the luckiest person in the world."

'Llama' would have to agree.