It was known a day ago as the Wonder Again Stakes (G2T).
Then Mother Nature butted in and reduced it to the "Wonder Why Stakes."
As in, you wonder why anyone ran in the Wonder Again (G3) when torrential rain forced a surface switch from the boggy turf to the mud puddle of a main track at Saratoga Race Course.
Answer: "Luckily we have a great team and they keep lots and lots of records. I went back and watched her work Dec. 19 with Dream On (a grade 1-placed filly) and she worked five-eighths on the dirt in a minute and change and galloped out in (1:13). And I'm like, maybe we'll run her."
Those were the words of Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, explaining why he opted to run the nation's top 3-year-old turf filly, D. J. Stable's Nitrogen, in the June 7 $261,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies after it was shifted from the turf to the dirt and will be downgraded to a grade 3 stakes.
"(I talked with) the Greens (owners of Nitrogen) and we hemmed and hawed," Casse said, condensing about 25 calls/texts about the decision, "and they kind of pushed me. 'Let's do it.'"
The decision to run Nitrogen on dirt for the first time resulted in as easy of a victory as Nitrogen will ever have as she smoked two rivals. The homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro romped by 17 lengths as the 2-5 favorite in the mile Wonder Again on a sloppy, sealed track.
"My only comment is that maybe I should have run her on dirt a little sooner," Casse said.
As it turned out, watching the race was much easier on Casse's nerves than making the decision on whether or not to run once heavy rain forced a cancellation of all turf racing Saturday at the Spa.
He needed some ginger lozenges to calm his stomach and might have needed some ginger lagers if the move did not pay off as handsomely as it did.
"I consumed a lot of ginger today," Casse said. "I usually don't get too worried about things. But when you have a horse like her and she has established herself as the best 3-year-old turf filly in North America, you don't want to hurt that.
"But when you have owners like the (Len and his son, Jon) Greens, you don't have to worry that you will be run over the coals if you make a move (and it doesn't work out)."
Jockey Jose Ortiz kept Nitrogen in second behind pacesetting Bessie Abott, who is also trained by Casse, through a :47.89 half-mile. They easily took charge midway on the turn and the only question after that was the final margin and time.
Those answers were 17 lengths and 1:36.16 with no urging.
Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Bessie Abott, a daughter of Kuroshio, held second by 8 1/2 lengths over KatieRich Stables' May Day Ready, a Tapit filly trained by Joseph Lee.
Casse said a key part of the decision involved keeping Nitrogen on schedule for her next start in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) July 5 at the Spa.
Out of the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case, Nitrogen ($2.80) won her fifth straight start and fifth in eight lifetime efforts while lifting her earnings past the million mark to $1,146,604.
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