Nitrogen towers over small field in Beldame

Last seen finishing second to Horse of the Year Sovereignty in the Whitney (G1) at Saratoga, Nitrogen lands in a softer spot in Friday’s $250,000 Beldame (G2) at Belmont Park. The dual champion filly returns to distaff company against just four rivals, none of whom have a graded stakes victory.

Trainer Chad Brown entered a pair of lightly-raced four-year-olds with upside: Molly Pitcher (G2) runner-up Lost Horizon and stakes debutante Donor Advised. Parx shipper Boutwell Time has captured minor stakes on the Mid-Atlantic circuit in her last two starts, and New York-bred Lika Rolling Stone rates as the biggest outsider. 

Nitrogen’s lopsided class edge is reflected in her Brisnet Prime Power ranking, where she has an advantage of more than 27 points over the second-best contender, Lost Horizon. 

In the circumstances, it’s no surprise that the Beldame goes off as the second race at 1:47 p.m. ET. 

Although Nitrogen wasn’t at her best at Oaklawn Park earlier in the season, the Mark Casse trainee roared back to top form over the summer at the Spa. She crushed the June 6 Ogden Phipps (G1), a “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), by 12 3/4 lengths. Moreover, she blitzed 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.93, just a tick off the track record. 

Nitrogen ran a mighty race in defeat next time in the Whitney. Overcoming a stumbling start, she set a fast pace and beat all but Sovereignty. Among those trailing in her wake was Magnitude, the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster (G1) winner.

After publicly discussing other options for Nitrogen’s next start, Casse ultimately decided that the Beldame was the best launching pad to the Breeders’ Cup. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was runner-up in last year’s Distaff at Del Mar as a three-year-old, and she’ll loom large in this year’s renewal at Keeneland. 

“She’s doing great, and she’s adapted to Belmont well, so we’re ready to go,” Casse told NYRA publicity. “I was extremely proud of her last time (in the Whitney) – I was a proud papa. I haven’t trained her extraordinarily hard for this race. Obviously, we want to win the Beldame, but our major focus is the Breeders’ Cup. I think she’s in a good place and she’s ready.

“She has gotten better with age. She’s an amazing filly when you think about her success on the turf and on the dirt, and beating some of the best colts in the country. She’s done it all. We just need it to continue.”

If the Brown fillies have yet to flash Nitrogen-level ability, at least they are proven at the 1 1/8-mile distance. 

Lost Horizon scored her first stakes win in the May 16 Serena’s Song S. at Monmouth Park, but she was no match for Splendora in her Jersey Shore follow-up in the Molly Pitcher.  The Into Mischief filly hopes to leverage her Beldame pedigree angle. Peter Brant’s homebred is out of Wow Cat, who won the 2018 Beldame en route to placing second in the Distaff at Churchill Downs. Wow Cat was runner-up in her 2019 Beldame title defense. 

Donor Advised has potential as a well-bred daughter of Gun Runner. The Klaravich Stables colorbearer returned from a 13-month layoff to dominate an entry-level allowance at Saratoga. She keeps Manny Franco aboard, while Lost Horizon renews acquaintance with Flavien Prat.

The Juan Guerrero-trained Boutwell Time has a distance question to answer, but the one-turn configuration of the Beldame could be more helpful than a two-turn race. The daughter of Not This Time romped in the April 4 Heavenly Cause S. at Laurel in her only outing of the year so far. 

Lika Rolling Stone has class concerns with her 6-for-41 career mark at a lesser level. Her lone black-type result was a second at 25-1 in the June 21 Lady’s Secret S. at Monmouth, and she trailed in her only graded attempt in the Molly Pitcher.