Nitrogen, the leading 3-year-old filly in the country, and Ewing, an undefeated graded stakes-winning juvenile colt, are both slated to make their next starts at Keeneland. On their way from Saratoga to Lexington, however, both are spending some quality time at Belmont Park.
On a gorgeous Monday morning – following a dreary Sunday – both Nitrogen and Ewing put in workouts over the Belmont training track in preparation for their next starts. Nitrogen, the Grade 1 Alabama winner on dirt and multiple turf stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 48.81 seconds by herself. While being urged some late, Nitrogen got her last quarter in 23.78 and proceeded to gallop-out five furlongs in 1:00.93 and six furlongs in 1:13.78.
Trainer Mark Casse was at Keeneland for the yearling auction that began Monday but said the reports from his assistant, Shane Tripp, were positive. The Grade 1 Spinster on Oct. 5 could mark the first of two meetings between Nitrogen and Thorpedo Anna, the latter being the reigning Horse of the Year and 3-year-old filly champion. Both also are aiming at the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1.
“I think at some point we’re going to take on older mares and we’ll do it at Keeneland,” Casse said. “It was more about the timing.”
Casse’s multiple Grade 1-winning 3-year-old filly La Cara also is at Belmont, where on Saturday she worked a half-mile in 48.85 in preparation for the Grade 1 Cotillion on Sept. 20 at Parx Racing.
Meanwhile, Ewing, the one-length winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on Aug. 2, worked a half-mile in 48.65 earlier on Monday morning. He is being pointed to the Grade 1, $650,000 Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 4 at Keeneland.
Ewing ran twice in four weeks at Saratoga, winning a maiden race by 12 lengths on July 5 before the Saratoga Special victory. Casse said he didn’t want to run him in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5 or this Saturday’s Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs.
“If I ran him in the Iroquois, I couldn’t run him back” before the Breeders’ Cup, Casse said.
In the Futurity, Ewing is expected to meet Ted Noffey, the 8 1/2-length winner of the Grade 1 Hopeful. The Casse-trained Curtain Call, who finished third in the Hopeful, a head behind Buetane, is at Belmont and will be trained toward a start in the Grade 1 Champagne on Oct. 4 at Aqueduct.
Casse said Curtain Call’s Hopeful effort was “okay. Obviously, the winner was extremely tough. [Curtain Call] was tired after that race, so I think that race will move him forward.”
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