As much as the New York Racing Association is offering three graded turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the leader of that division could be one-and-done in the series.
D. J. Stable's Nitrogen, a winner of her last five starts, figures to be an odds-on choice in a field of seven July 5 in the $500,000 series-opening Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.
But if she runs to expectations in the mile-and-an-eighth turf test, trainer Mark Casse has a different itinerary for her than the next two legs of the turf tripleheader.
He says he would likely run Nitrogen on dirt in the Aug. 16 Alabama Stakes (G1), the 3-year-old filly division's mile-and-a-quarter version of the famed Travers Stakes (G1).
"The plan is that if she runs well here, she'll probably come back in the Alabama. It will add a lot of intrigue to that race if she shows up," Casse said. "I've tried to keep her and La Cara (the Casse-trained winner of the Acorn Stakes at the Spa) separate, but they will probably meet there. I know Nitrogen would love the mile and a quarter. She's developed a bit of a following now and it will be fun to see what she develops into and it would be great for racing to see her do big things."
While Nitrogen has captured her four of her last five starts on turf—all in stakes and three of them graded—the homebred daughter of Medaglia d'Oro turned in an electrifying performance last time out in her initial dirt race. When the Wonder Again Stakes (G3) at Saratoga was shifted from turf to the sloppy main track June 7 due to wet conditions, Casse kept his ace filly in the field to face two rivals.
"I always wanted to run her on dirt but she was doing so good on turf," Casse said. "So, we didn't do it until the Wonder Again."
Her 2-5 odds reflected her dominance, but not even Casse was expecting what he saw on the wet track. Nitrogen not only won by 17 lengths, but her time of 1:36.16 was only .27 behind the 1:35.89 some of the nation's best older dirt males recorded in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) later on the card.
"She did it in a gallop, which is amazing. (Jockey Jose Ortiz) told me he knew she was a winner when she was warming up," Casse said.
But for now, the grass will be greener for Nitrogen for at least one start, and the brilliance she has displayed has Casse thinking about some of the top turf mares he's trained in his Hall of Fame, stars such as Tepin and Got Stormy.
"At this point in her career she's much more than those two," said Casse, referencing his two retired multiple grade 1 winners.
KatieRich Stables' May Day Ready will be happy to return to turf in the Belmont Oaks after testing Nitrogen in the Wonder Again and finishing third and last by 25 1/2 lengths. In her four United States turf races, the daughter of Tapit has three wins. Trained by Joseph Lee and bred by White Birch Farm, the lone loss was a second in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) when she was second, a length ahead of Nitrogen who closed from 11th in the final furlong to finish third.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 5, 2025, Race 11Entries: Belmont Oaks Invitational S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Warming (KY) Manuel Franco 121 H. Graham Motion 8/1 2 2Opulent Restraint (IRE) Joel Rosario 121 Chad C. Brown 10/1 3 3Totally Justified (KY) Luis Saez 121 George R. Arnold II 6/1 4 4Virgin Colada (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 121 Chad C. Brown 8/1 5 5Fionn (KY) Flavien Prat 121 Brad H. Cox 5/1 6 6May Day Ready (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 121 Joseph R. Lee 10/1 7 7Nitrogen (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 121 Mark E. Casse 4/5
