What to do with a champion mare who received the title for her efficiency on turf as a two-year-old? In fact, we additionally run her on dust within the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the world championship’s signature contest for fillies and mares.
Len and John Inexperienced’s DJ steady has had its share of high-level horses, together with Marvel Wheel, Jaywalk and Internet Slinger, to call a couple of, however the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, out of the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case, has made a reputation for herself with graded stakes wins on each dust and turf. Her versatility places her in the identical league as John Henry, Animal Kingdom, Clever Dan, and different champions who excel on each fronts.
For coach Mark Casse, a Corridor of Fame inductee, the 2024 Canadian Champion 2-year-old filly reminds him of a racehorse close to and pricey to his coronary heart, Battle of Will. Along with successful the 2019 Preakness Stakes and giving Cass his first American Basic, the Warfront offspring additionally had a robust efficiency on the Keeneland greens within the 2020 Maker’s Mark Mile. Requested if Nitrogen was as proficient because the Basic winner, the coach replied, “Possibly much more.”
“Quantity-wise, her dust numbers are good, whether or not it’s Beyer (velocity determine) or Thorograph,” Kass stated. “Clearly, she’s rising and getting older, too. As she will get older, her numbers have a tendency to enhance. I feel if she runs on grass, she’ll most likely enhance her numbers as effectively. However proper now, in the event you have a look at her Thorograph numbers, her greatest ever Solograph quantity on grass is a 7, and her greatest quantity in a dust race is a 1. It is a large distinction.”
Cass and Greens may not have recognized that Nitrogen (so named as a result of Cass stated, “This filly breathes a distinct air”) is a multifaceted surprise if it hadn’t been for the off-turf Marvel Once more Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in July. It was initially scheduled to be run as a Grade 2 1 1/8-mile grass course, however dangerous climate compelled the change to dust. The coach then needed to determine whether or not to maintain her within the race or harm her.
“The DJ guys stated, ‘Look, if she loses, we’ll take accountability.'” That made my determination loads simpler,” Kass stated.
Shortened to a one-mile, three-horse, Grade 3 race, Marvel Once more was an enormous success for Nitrogen, who beat runner-up Bessie Abbott by 17 lengths.
“I used to be shocked. She ran a fifth (of a second) slower than she ran the Met Mile that day,” Kass stated. “After I noticed that and the way simply she did it, I knew she may do it.”
In his subsequent begin, the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (1 1/8 miles Grade 1 on grass), Nitrogen led from the entrance and raced to the end line with Fionn, with the latter successful by a nostril.
Kass then switched to dust for the G1 Alabama Stakes hosted by Keeneland Gross sales, the place he confronted Longines Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer and G1 winner LaCara, and Nitrogen proved he may do the job with a one-and-a-half size victory. Nitrogen, who has received graded stakes on each dust and turf, entered Uncommon Air, a dual-threat who has gotten higher with age.
Nitrogen will enter the 1 1/8-mile, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff as second within the morning behind jockey Bob Baffert’s 4-year-old filly Seismic Magnificence, who received the Oak Tree Horse Racing Affiliation’s Clement L. Hirsch S. on Aug. 2 at Del Mar. Kass’ filly comes into the race with expertise at seaside California racetracks, however no expertise on dust. He was the third horse to win final 12 months. The Breeders’ Cup was held at John Deere Junior Phillies Turf. However on Saturday, 4 weeks after ending second by a head to fellow Distaff runner Jin Jin within the G1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, Kass is secretly assured of his probability to star.
“She likes to run each 4 or 5 weeks,” the coach stated. “That is why we selected Spinster.”
Poised for extra wins on dust, Distaff’s win will very possible cement her as chief within the 3-year-old filly division and show as soon as once more why the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro earned the identify Nitrogen.
