When it comes to his champion filly Nitrogen, Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse is one “proud papa.’’
And that comment came after a loss against the boys – a gallant second-place effort behind Horse of the Year Sovereignty in the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 8.
On Friday, the 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly tunes up for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) when she meets four rivals in the $250,000 Beldame Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.
Nitrogen was made the overwhelming 1-9 favorite, the lowest odds displayed on a standard track program. The last horse to be listed at 1-9 at a New York Racing Association track was the marathon star Next, who in 2024 lived up to the billing with a 22 ¼-length romp in the 1 ¾-mile Birdstone Stakes at Saratoga.
Next was bet down to 1-20 on the tote board, and the minimum payout on a $2 win bet is $2.10.
“She’s doing great, and she’s adapted to Belmont well, so we’re ready to go,” Casse said of his star. “I was extremely proud of her last time – I was a proud papa.
“I haven’t trained her extraordinarily hard for this race,’’ he added. “Obviously, we want to win the Beldame, but our major focus is the Breeders’ Cup. I think she’s in a good place and she’s ready.”
Nitrogen will be ridden by regular rider Jose Ortiz from post 5. The rest of the field in 1 1/8-mile Beldame includes a pair from trainer Chad Brown -- Donor Advised (8-1) in her stakes debut, and Lost Horizon (5-1), second behind Splendora in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2) last out.
Boutwell Time (12-1) and Lika Rolling Stone (30-1) round out the field.
Nitrogen has been a good place ever since she stepped on the racetrack. As a 2-year-old, she started out on the turf, winning twice, then won the Wonder Again Stakes by 17 lengths over a sloppy dirt track when the race was moved off the turf.
She ran second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) back on turf, but the big change came a month later in the prestigious Alabama Stakes (G1), on dirt, when she beat Good Cheer. Two seconds later, she won the Spinster Stakes (G1) and the BC Distaff (G1), which resulted in an Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly.
This year, more of the same: a win in the Bayakoa Stakes (G2); third in the Azeri Stakes (G2), second in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1); first in the Ogden Phipps (G1) and second in the Whitney.
Earnings? $2.9 million with a stellar record of 17-8-6-3 – that means Nitrogen has finished in the top 3 in every one of her races.
The Beldame is not part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win, and You’re In" program, but it is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” series, with the nominated winner receiving $30,000 toward entry fees to the BC Distaff.
“She has gotten better with age,” Casse said. “She’s an amazing filly when you think about her success on the turf and on the dirt, and beating some of the best colts in the country. She’s done it all. We just need it to continue.”
Lost Horizon, a daughter of Into Mischief, will be ridden by Flavien Prat; Saratoga riding champion Manny Franco has the call aboard Donor Advised as Brown seeks his fifth Beldame victory.
Boutwell Time comes in with a four-race winning streak -- two at Parx, two at Laurel – and runs for the first time since a victory in the Heavenly Cause at Laurel on April 4.
Expect a quick, early pace as Ortiz sizes up what his longshot rivals are doing and then decides when it’s time for Nitrogen to inhale the field.
The Beldame is race 2 with a 1:10 p.m. ET post.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Donor Advised | Manny Franco | Chad Brown | 8-1 |
| 2 | Lost Horizon | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | 5-1 |
| 3 | Boutwell Time | Antonio Fresu | Juan Carlos Guerrero | 12-1 |
| 4 | Nitrogen | Jose Ortiz | Mark Casse | 1-9 |
| 5 | Lika Rolling Stone | Chris Elliott | Antonio Arriaga | 30-1 |
Last Updated on 09/24/2026
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
