Contemplate the strategy behind directing a celebrated female horse, distinguished by her turf victories at the tender age of 2, towards a dirt track showdown. Specifically, envision her participation in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, a prominent event within the World Championships, showcasing talent among fillies and mares.
The D. J. Stable, under the stewardship of Len and Jon Green, boasts a roster of remarkable equine athletes, including Wonder Wheel, Jaywalk, and Webslinger. However, their Medaglia d’Oro offspring, born from the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case, has forged a unique reputation through triumphs in graded stakes competitions on both dirt and turf surfaces. This adaptability positions her alongside legendary figures like John Henry, Animal Kingdom, and Wise Dan—champions celebrated for their achievements across diverse track conditions.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse draws parallels between the 2024 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly and a horse that holds a special place in his memories, War of Will. In addition to securing victory in the 2019 Preakness Stakes, marking Casse’s inaugural American classic win, the War Front son also delivered a memorable performance on the Keeneland turf during the 2020 Maker’s Mark Mile. When questioned about whether Nitrogen possesses comparable talent to the impressive classic victor, the trainer ventured, “perhaps even surpassing it.”
“Numerically speaking, whether assessed by Beyer [Speed Figures] or Thoro-Graph, her performances on dirt outshine those on turf,” Casse observed. “Naturally, she has also matured and aged. As horses mature, their performance metrics tend to improve. Were we to race her again on grass, I anticipate her statistics would also show progress. However, at present, considering Thoro-Graph data, her peak Thoro-Graph number on grass was seven, whereas her top dirt performance registers at one. A substantial disparity.”
Casse and the Greens might not have fully recognized Nitrogen’s extraordinary versatility—a moniker inspired by Casse’s observation that “this filly breathes different air”—had it not been for the Wonder Again Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in July, which was rerouted from turf to dirt due to unfavorable weather conditions. Originally slated as a Grade 2 event over 1 1/8 miles on turf, the relocation prompted the trainer to weigh the options of keeping her in the race or withdrawing her.
“The representatives from D. J. Stable assured, ‘We will accept the responsibility if she doesn’t succeed.’ This commitment significantly eased my decision-making process,” Casse recounted.
Reduced to a one-mile distance, a trio of competitors, and a Grade 3 designation, the Wonder Again turned into a resounding success for Nitrogen, who outpaced the runner-up, Bessie Abott, by an impressive 17 lengths.
“I was truly astonished. She completed the race merely one-fifth [of a second] slower than the Met Mile participants that day,” Casse noted. “Witnessing that performance and the ease with which she executed it, I was convinced of her potential on dirt.”
Subsequently, in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, a Grade 1 event spanning 1 1/8 miles on turf, Nitrogen momentarily held a slim lead at the top of the stretch, engaging in a fierce duel with Fionn until the finish line, where the latter ultimately prevailed by a narrow margin.
Casse then redirected her to the dirt track for the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes presented by Keeneland Sales, where she faced formidable contenders, including Longines Kentucky Oaks victress Good Cheer and Grade 1 champion La Cara. Nitrogen proved equal to the challenge, securing a victory by a margin of 1 ½ lengths. With graded stakes triumphs on both dirt and turf, Nitrogen has ascended to an elite echelon, emerging as a formidable threat on multiple surfaces while demonstrating continued improvement with age.
Nitrogen enters the 1 1/8-mile $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff as the second favored entrant based on the morning line, trailing Bob Baffert’s 4-year-old filly Seismic Beauty, who clinched victory in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes Presented by Oak Tree Racing Association on August 2 at Del Mar. Casse’s filly possesses prior experience at the California racetrack, albeit not on dirt; she secured a third-place finish in the John Deere Juvenile Fillies Turf during the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup. Nonetheless, Casse maintains a quiet confidence in his star’s prospects on Saturday, four weeks after her narrow defeat by a head to fellow Distaff contender Gin Gin in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes at Keeneland.
“She thrives on a racing schedule of approximately four to five weeks between starts,” the trainer elucidated. “That was the primary rationale behind our choice to enter her in the Spinster.”
Prepared for another triumphant showing on the dirt, a Distaff victory would likely solidify her position as a leading contender in the 3-year-old filly division and underscore the justification behind the moniker Nitrogen for this exceptional Medaglia d’Oro offspring.
