LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nitrogen is believed to be the seventh-most common element in our solar system and the Milky Way. The horse bearing the element’s name appears to be first among the galaxy of North American 3-year-old turf fillies.
Second in the Grade 1 Natalma as a maiden 2-year-old and a troubled third as a maiden in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Nitrogen left the maiden ranks Jan. 4 winning the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park by a half-length. On March 8, she won the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs by the same margin, but as good as Nitrogen looked in those races, she hit a new level Tuesday at Keeneland, winning the Grade 2, $500,000 Appalachian Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths.
And the margin could have been wider. Unlike in her Florida wins, where Nitrogen required most of the homestretch to hit the front, she glided to the lead Tuesday in upper stretch, opening up by a few lengths without jockey Jose Ortiz asking her for much of anything.
“Today, I just let her do her thing and get into that beautiful, nice stride. Today, she made the lead and started playing around,” Ortiz said.
Trainer Mark Casse isn’t playing around this Keeneland meet. He won the Grade 1 Ashland here Monday with La Cara, won a maiden turf race earlier on the Tuesday card, and went one-two in the Appalachian as Vixen finished well for second, 1 1/4 lengths in front of third-place Fionn. Foxtastic, Totally Justified, Fast Market, and Table Flirt completed the order of finish. Good Temper, Liam in the Dust, and Lush Lips were scratched.
Nitrogen is a D J Stable homebred by Medaglia d’Oro out of Tiffany Case, by Uncle Mo, and Casse said he had the chance to personally inspect 20 D J Stable homebreds as yearlings. Nitrogen, he said, was his choice – and an astute one.
Nitrogen could have finished second and might have come close to winning her Breeders’ Cup race with a better trip. Ortiz engineered an ideal one Tuesday, Nitrogen helping him establish the early position he wanted with a good break from the rail. Staying inside while settling in fifth down the backstretch behind splits of 23.31 seconds and 47.45, Nitrogen raced along the fence while in the bridle, relaxed and awaiting her cue going into the far turn. Ortiz eased into the No. 2 path past the three-furlong marker, swung to the far outside past the five-sixteenths, and by the three-sixteenths marker had seized command of the Appalachian. The filly never had led before deep stretch and, no other horses around her this time, wandered to the outside. No matter – the deal had been sealed.
Nitrogen paid $4 to win as the heavy favorite and clocked 1:37 for one mile on a good course. Behind her, Irad Ortiz Jr. extricated Vixen from traffic problems along the inside. Nitrogen earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure.
“To be honest, when she got out, she really kicked,” Irad Ortiz Jr. said.
All being well, Nitrogen runs next on May 2 at Churchill Downs in the $600,000 Edgewood Stakes. At this point, there might not be a 3-year-old turf filly in this part of the universe who can beat her.
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