Nitrogen back on track in Phipps romp

Nitrogen’s four-year-old season had not gone to plan entering in Friday’s $500,000 Ogden Phipps (G1), recording setbacks at odds-on in the Apple Blossom (G1) and Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn Park in her two previous outings, but the three-year-old filly champion rebounded spectacularly while returning to Saratoga, dominating throughout winning by 12 3/4 lengths.

Owned and bred by DJ Stable (Leonard and Jonathan Green), the Mark Casse-trained Nitrogen narrowly missed the track record, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.93 with regular rider Jose Ortiz. The bay filly improved to 3-for-3 at Saratoga, easily winning the Alabama (G1) and off-the-turf Wonder Again (G3) last year. 

“When they said it was one-fifth off the track record, Jose said, ‘I could have broken it,’” Casse said. “He said he just kind of geared her down. All week when Jose was getting on horses for me, I kept saying, ‘The big mare is ready. The big mare is ready.’ And then in the paddock, I said I thought we may be on the lead and I told him, ‘If so, go for it.’ She’s got a high cruising speed. I think maybe when you’re bottled up a little, it doesn’t help her.”

Nitrogen seized the lead soon out of the starting gate, surging forward to establish opening fractions in :23.74, :47.26, and 1:10.48 while up by about a length. She began to humble the competition rounding the far turn, reaching the stretch call with a widening 6 1/2-length advantage, and kept pouring it on while drifting out in deep stretch.

“Mark told me if she breaks, don't be afraid to go to the lead,” Ortiz said. “She broke. I took the lead. She relaxed well. When I asked her to go, she was there for me. She was much the best, as you saw." 

Now an eight-time stakes winner, including four turf events, Nitrogen has earned more than $2.73 million from a 16-8-5-3 record. She was named champion three-year-old filly after finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar.

“She is beautiful,” Casse said. “You can just see it, she’s grown up. She’s massive.”

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, Nitrogen left the starting gate as the even-money favorite among six rivals. She’s out of the stakes-placed Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case and counts Canadian stakes winner Love to Shop as a half-sister.

Bless the Broken stalked Nitrogen in second during the opening stages and dead-heated for second with 9-5 second choice Fully Subscribed. Regaled came next in fourth and was followed by Cassiar and Alpine Princess.

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