Despite all the recent Kentucky storms, there was no raining on Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's parade of 3-year-old fillies during opening week at Keeneland. Less than 24 hours after La Cara won the delayed Ashland Stakes (G1), Casse was back in the winner's circle after Nitrogen topped a Casse-trained exacta in the $500,000 Appalachian Stakes (G2T) April 8.
"If the turf had been really soft, I wouldn't have run them," Casse said about the race being delayed from April 5. "I was glad they decided to give it a few days. It worked out well."
The D. J. Stable's homebred settled perfectly on the rail for jockey Jose Ortiz about four lengths behind Fast Market through fractions of :23.31, :47.45, and 1:11.80. Ortiz tipped to the outside as they approached the quarter pole before rallying four wide to take command at the eighth pole. Ortiz was then able to keep Nitrogen to task through the wire for a 2 1/4-length victory.
"Very easy to get her in full stride down the lane," Ortiz said. "When I asked her to go, I kept her on the outside and then little by little she got into that stride."
Nitrogen paid $4.40 to win and completed one mile on good turf in 1:37.00.
Vixen, Nitrogen's Casse-trained stablemate owned by D. J. Stable and Elipse Thoroughbred Partners, raced just ahead of Nitrogen through the early stages before a stop-and-go run in the stretch as Irad Ortiz Jr. tried to find room to run. Once she found it, Vixen powered home for second to complete the exacta for her connections. Fionn finished third.
Casse's faith in Nitrogen goes a long way back. While Casse was training 2022 Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel for D. J. Stable, D. J.'s Jon Green offered Casse the opportunity to pick a filly of his choosing to train.
"D. J. breeds about 20 horses a year and they sell them all," Casse said. "I went and looked at the 20 of them and I picked Nitrogen."
Those early expectations culminated in the filly being entered in the 2024 Natalma Stakes (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) as a maiden, hitting the board in both. She kicked off her 3-year-old season with a win in the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park to break her maiden. She then earned her first graded triumph in the March 8 Florida Oaks (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs.
"I think she's got better and better," Casse said. "I think she likes this course, too. She struggled a little at Gulfstream with the sharper turns; that's why I took her to Tampa. She ran well at Tampa, but today was an even better race."
Nitrogen continues a stellar start to the year for Darley stallion Medaglia d'Oro , tallying a sixth graded win by his progeny alongside the success of Spirit of St Louis, Good Cheer, and Ballerina d'Oro.
Casse said the next step will be the $600,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2T) May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Video
