Nitrogen takes care of business in G2 Beldame
D. J. Stable’s Kentucky homebred Nitrogen, the reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, put her class on display with a 2 3/4-length win in Friday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beldame, a one-turn nine-furlong dirt route for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont Park.
The Beldame is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” series in which the nominated winner will receive a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff in October at Keeneland. Second place will receive a $15,000 credit and third place will receive a $7,500 credit.
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Nitrogen entered from a second versus males in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 8 at Saratoga Race Course. There, the 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro bay set the pace and finished 4 3/4 lengths behind the victorious reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty.
On Friday, Nitrogen again employed pacesetting tactics, like she did in a 12 3/4-length win in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in June at the Spa. In the stretch, Donor Advised challenged the Champion, but Nitrogen took care of business when asked by regular pilot Jose Ortiz.
“She’s amazing. This was what we were hoping for,” Casse said. “That other filly gave her a little run and I thought it was nice. I wanted her to do a little something today, so it was good. She does like company, and that’s what was so interesting when she won by so far [in the Phipps], I was surprised because she usually likes company.”
Owner Jon Green of D. J. Stable shared similar sentiments.
"This checked all the boxes. It was exactly what we wanted,” Green said. “We wanted her to have a good, strong run for at least three-quarters of the race and then hopefully coast on in. Jose did a phenomenal job of making sure that we were out in front and unencumbered.”
Nitrogen exited post 4 and quickly overtook the Manny Franco-piloted Donor Advised, holding a one-length advantage over Lost Horizon and her Chad Brown-trained stablemate Donor Advised through an opening quarter-mile in 23.89 seconds over the fast dirt.
“He [Franco] broke better than I did, but I was committed to the lead,” Ortiz said. “I followed the races yesterday and today - today, the first one won on the lead, yesterday the speed was holding pretty nicely. I felt like I had the best horse and I wanted to go to the lead.”
Nitrogen held a 3 1/2-length advantage around the turn after the half-mile in 46.51 and extended her lead to four lengths over Donor Advised through three-quarters in 1:10.44. Ortiz sat chilly aboard Nitrogen coming to the top of the lane, and Donor Advised made up ground as they straightened up.
"She was traveling so well,” said Ortiz. “I was waiting for the right time to let her go and she started running. I knew I had it passing the three-sixteenths."
While making her run, Donor Advised drifted in behind Nitrogen, who was then asked by Ortiz and held well clear while drifting out into the center of the course as she stopped the clock in 1:48.36.
“For me, she always does it but as long as she keeps going forward, I'm good with it,” Ortiz said of Nitrogen drifting out.
Boutwell Time finished another 13 1/2 lengths back in third, with Lost Horizon completing the superfecta and Lika Rolling Stone rounding out the order of finish.
“When he felt that Chad's one horse [No. 1, Donor Advised] was starting to come up on her, he asked her a little bit and she went into the next gear,” Green said. “The main thing is she looks like she came out of it in perfect condition and now we're just counting down the days [to the Breeders' Cup Distaff]."
To prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on October 31 at Keeneland, Casse opted to run Nitrogen in the Beldame among multiple options, including last Friday’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup won by Champion Older Dirt Male Forever Young.
“I think this was perfect and what we’re looking for,” Casse said. “We’ve got five weeks now, this [the Breeders’ Cup] was our goal in the beginning, so hopefully we can get that job done.”
Franco said Donor Advised was game as she made her stakes debut from the inside post.
“She ran well. The winner is so nice and I’m just happy to have a placing for my filly,” Franco said. “That was the trip I wanted, I wanted to stay inside and follow the other filly because we knew she would be tough.”
Nitrogen banked $137,500 in victory to cross the $3 million mark in earnings via an 18-9-6-3 record, while returning $2.10 for a $2 win bet as the 1-9 post-time favorite. She is out of the stakes-placed Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case and is a half-sister to three-time graded stakes-placed Love to Shop.
Live racing is canceled on Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park due to a powerful nor’easter forecast, and live racing will resume Wednesday with an eight-race card that is being drawn today.
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