Nitrogen Should Feel Right at Home in Saratoga

Nitrogen is that dream horse—one who always shows up and even when she doesn't run her best race, she's making her connections proud and earning them money. Returning to the site of one of her greatest triumphs, D. J. Stable's homebred Nitrogen is the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the June 5 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. She is among six older fillies and mares vying for the $500,000 purse. The Mark Casse trainee, last year's champion 3-year-old filly, has a stellar record of 7-5-3 in 15 career starts and earnings of $2,455,854. One of her wins came in last year's Alabama Stakes (G1), a premier dirt race for 3-year-old fillies in North America. It was a breakout performance for the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro as it marked her first grade 1 following a narrow defeat on the turf in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). This year, Nitrogen won the Bayakoa Stakes (G3), finished third in the Azeri Stakes (G2), and was second in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1), all at Oaklawn Park. "Her first effort back was great, but I thought her second run back was a little bit lackluster. Last time, she was really good," Casse said. "It's very unfortunate that the filly that beat her (Claret Beret) passed away. I thought that was going to be the start of a really good rivalry." Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen's regular partner who won the 2021 edition of the Ogden Phipps with future champion Letruska, has the mount from post 5 in the 1 1/8-mile race around two turns. With a compact field and one that is not brimming with early speed—at least on paper—Nitrogen, with her tactical speed, shouldn't be too far off the early pace. Fully Subscribed (5-2) from the barn of Chad Brown, is lightly raced for Klaravich Stables, but has shown plenty of promise in those six career starts, including a runner-up finish at 1 1/16 miles in the La Troienne Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs in her first race of the year. The daughter of Tiz the Law should benefit from having that race under her belt, and certainly will relish the extra sixteenth of a mile in this spot. She already owns two graded stakes victories at the Ogden Phipps' distance. Flavien Prat rides Fully Subscribed, who drew the rail. Regaled finished fourth in the Apple Blossom, following a close second in the 1 1/16-mile Azeri Stakes. In each of those races, the 5-year-old trailed early. "I think the mile and an eighth will equalize her needing such a strong pace," trainer Whit Beckman said. "She always closes really well and runs really well at a mile and an eighth. At Oaklawn, we only had mile-and-sixteenth races at the start of the year." Trainer Brad Cox entered two in the Ogden Phipps, Doubledogdare Stakes (G2) winner Alpine Princess, a millionaire, and multiple grade 1-placed Bless the Broken, third in the La Troienne Stakes. Completing the field is Cassiar, a closing second in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) and who gets blinkers on.