D.J. Stable’s Kentucky homebred Nitrogen delivered in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, Aug. 16, marking the filly’s first Grade 1 win on dirt.
The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was an impressive multiple graded stakes winner on turf this spring. She opened new doors with her facile win on the dirt in the Alabama. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen stalked the early pace of her stablemate La Cara. She turned up the pressure on La Cara on the far turn and gained an advantage outside the quarter-pole. She shook clear of rivals in the lane and scored by 1 ½ lengths despite swerving some in the stretch. Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer rallied late to finish second.
“I think I made the lead at a good point and she’s a big filly, so I let her use her stride,” said Ortiz. “I let her get into a nice, beautiful stride on the backside. I was pretty happy with that. When she gets by herself, she tries to get a little bit lost. But I had a clear lead.”
Trainer Mark Casse said of the Grade 1 win, “I’ve been coming here since I was 10 years old and the Alabama has always been huge. I can’t even explain it. This is all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a little boy.”
Nitrogen improved her record to 10-6-2-2 and she now boasts earnings of more than $1.5 million. In addition to the Alabama, she has also won this year’s Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, the Appalachian S. (G2) at Keeneland, and the Edgewood S. (G2) at Churchill Downs.