Nitrogen leads solid Casse quartet at Breeders’ Cup World Championships
- Nitrogen leads solid Casse quartet at Breeders’ Cup World Championships
- Napoleon Solo drills over Belmont Park main track in prep for Breeders’ Cup
- Lennox the Grey goes for graded double in G3 Hill Prince
D.J. Stable’s Kentucky homebred Nitrogen will make her third appearance at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships when she headlines a talented field in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Trained by dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the 4-year-old Medaglia d’Oro bay made her last three outings in New York, including a pair of memorable Grade 1 starts at Saratoga Race Course with a 12 3/4-length romp in the Ogden Phipps presented by Ford and a runner-up effort to reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty while facing males in the Whitney.
Her Ogden Phipps effort earned a career-best 113 Beyer Speed Figure with the Chad Brown-trained runner-up Fully Subscribed exiting that race to win three graded events, including a pair of Grade 1s.
Nitrogen had her final Breeders’ Cup prep at Belmont Park, wiring a field of five to score by 2 3/4-lengths under regular rider Jose Ortiz in the Grade 2 Beldame on September 25.
“We shipped her down to Kentucky on Wednesday and she trained this morning at Keeneland. She's doing well,” Casse said. “I thought the Beldame was a good race. I liked the timing. It looks like a showdown between her and Chad's filly.”
Casse said he has no intention of dulling Nitrogen’s abundant early foot in a Distaff field expected to have other potential pace types.
“She'll be pretty close. We may slow her down a little bit but we're not going to take hold of her. We're going to let her do her thing,” Casse said.
Nitrogen has banked in excess of $3 million through an 18-9-6-3 record that includes a trio of graded wins on turf and five graded wins on dirt. Her previous Breeders’ Cup attempts came at Del Mar, including a closing third as a maiden in the 2024 Grade 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf and a runner-up try to Scylla in last year’s Distaff.
While Casse hopes she can go one better in the Distaff at Keeneland, he’s buoyed by the fact that D. J. Stable plans to bring back the reigning Champion 3-Year-Old Filly for another season of racing next year.
“That's the plan as long as she's healthy out of the Breeders' Cup,” Casse said. “Our sport needs its stars and she's definitely a star. I commend the Greens for being the sportsmen they are.”
Gary Barber, Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ late-running Measure has hit the board in each of her last four outings – the last three in Grade 1 company – and will look to capitalize on a potential pace battle in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The 3-year-old daughter of Essential Quality finished third in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks won by stablemate Counting Stars in July at Saratoga to begin her streak of top-flight tilts. She followed with a neck second to My Gun's Loaded in the Spa’s 10-furlong Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales on August 22 ahead of a closing third in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion on September 19 at Parx when in tight approaching the three-eighths.
“She's a filly that we were high on from the beginning. I wasn't that disappointed with her earlier on in the year, I just thought she needed to get her act together and needed some pace,” Casse said. “Her Alabama was a huge race, and she got very unlucky in the Cotillion. She'll enjoy the mile and an eighth and will also enjoy a hot pace, which looking at the Distaff it's looking like it will be fairly lively.”
Manny Franco will retain the mount on Measure.
Gary Barber, Blue Crevalle Racing and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Classic Q was initially considered for a Breeders’ Cup start versus males in the Grade 1 Mile but will instead target the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf.
The 4-year-old Classic Empire grey has won 3-of-6 starts this year, including frontrunning scores in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in May at Churchill Downs and the Grade 1 Just a Game presented by Resolute Racing on June 6 at Saratoga. She secured her second career Grade 1 last out with a stalking nose score over Lush Lips in the one-mile First Lady on October 3 at Keeneland.
“We thought about the Mile but we're going to run her against the girls,” Casse said. “I would think with the mile and three-sixteenths that more than likely she'll be on the lead.”
Hall of Famer Javier Castellano takes over aboard Classic Q from fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who is committed to Gimma a Nother.
D.J. Stable will also be represented by Voyager in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The Justify bay ran second in her first two outings on dirt, including a runner-up try to Harper’s Corner in the Listed Schuylerville on July 3 at the Spa.
Voyager then shifted to the Saratoga turf on August 1 and stretched out to a two-turn 1 1/16-miles to post a frontrunning nose score over Correlation Trade. The third-place finisher of that event, Bittersweet Memory, exited to graduate at Saratoga and followed with a fourth-place run in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo here last weekend.
Voyager enters the Breeders’ Cup from a 1 1/4-length win in the Grade 1 Natalma contested at a one-turn mile over firm E.P. Taylor turf on September 12 at Woodbine.
Casse said the Spa turf experience will be beneficial for Voyager as she goes back to two turns for the one-mile Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“When she broke her maiden at Saratoga, I was happy because we were able to get a two-turn race into her. We went back to one-turn for the Natalma, but I feel she's very versatile. Her race in the Natalma was really good and she's training really well,” Casse said.
Casse enjoyed a winning barn debut Thursday for world-traveler Facteur Cheval, who scored by a half-length under Irad Ortiz, Jr. in a 1 1/16-mile Keeneland allowance for owners Team Valor International and Gary Barber.
The 7-year-old Ribchester gelding has banked in excess of $5.7 million through a 28-7-7-6 ledger topped by a win in the 2024 Group 1 Dubai Turf. He landed a deep-closing sixth in the Grade 3 Mint Millions on September 7 at Kentucky Downs for his former trainer Jerome Reynier.
“We took him over right after that race. Barry [Irwin] had mentioned to us going into yesterday's race that you need to get him into the race,” Casse said. “We let Irad know you need to be aggressive early on with him and get him into the race and you saw that yesterday. It made the difference. It's a privilege to have that horse in the barn.”
Facteur Cheval will point to the Grade 3 River City on November 7 at Churchill Downs.
Casse enjoyed his second win at the new Belmont Park on Wednesday when Gary Barber’s Ori wired a one-mile turf starter optional-claimer in her first start for new connections after being haltered for $45,000 from an optional-claiming win in September at Saratoga.
With Castellano aboard, the 5-year-old Hard Spun chestnut zipped through splits of 22.39 seconds, 45.09 and 1:09.48 en route to a 6 1/4-length score in 1:33.35. The winning effort returned an 86 Beyer – four points shy of a career-best 90 earned from a runner-up try in the 2024 Listed Winter Memories at Belmont at the Big A.
Ori is out of the stakes-winning Pioneerof the Nile mare Princessof the Nyl. Her stakes-winning third dam, Arabis, is a full-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Atelier and a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Aldiza.
“We don't claim very many. She's unique in that we thought she looked like she had ability running, but we also claimed her to be a broodmare,” Casse said. “If she keeps running the way she ran the other day, she may run another year.
“Javi called me after the race and said, 'she was impressive.' Normally I call him, but he called me,” Casse added, with a laugh.
Ori will likely point to the Listed $175,000 Noble Damsel, a one-mile turf test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on November 27 here.
Casse indicated he will have a big presence in New York this winter for a meet that will be contested exclusively over Tapeta. His significant stock will include a number of horses with past Tapeta experience at Woodbine, whose season comes to a close on December 13.
“The plan is to keep 40 or 50 there all winter long,” Casse said. “We may keep a few of the grass horses there to see how they get over the Tapeta - most of the time, they will.”
A handful of off-the-turf races have been contested over Tapeta at the Belmont fall meet.
“I know just watching it I've been impressed,” Casse said. “More and more horses will try it and there will be ones that will like. It will be very competitive.”
The stakes schedule for the Belmont Park winter meet was announced on Wednesday. For the full stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/stakes-schedule/.
Additional news, notes, advances and recaps are available at: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/news/.
For more information about the new Belmont Park, visit NewBelmont.com.
***
Napoleon Solo drills over Belmont Park main track in prep for Breeders’ Cup
Espoir USA’s Napoleon Solo turned in another sharp work over the main track at Belmont Park on Friday, breezing a solo six furlongs in 1:11 flat shortly after the conclusion of the 8AM renovation break in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup later this month at Keeneland.
Trained by Chad Summers, the son of Liam’s Map started off his work well behind a pair of trainees for Rudy Rodriguez, but closed in on them in the stretch before edging clear along the inside and powering through the wire with a few taps of the crop from regular exercise rider Emily Ellingwood ahead of a robust gallop-out.
“It was kind of a stamina-building breeze. He started out great, I had him in 13 [seconds for the first eighth], 37 and change, moving right along, but the problem when you breeze on a fresh track when you have a horse as competitive at Napoleon, they kind of want to go get the horses in front of them,” Summers said. “He went and got them, and after that, he was able to go on with his gallop out. The key today was getting that big gallop-out into him – he galloped out a mile and an eighth and that’s what we were looking for.
“I’m truly of the belief that he doesn’t need the lead,” Summers added. “I don’t think he minds running down a target and we saw that this morning. He’s worked purposefully with a target in front of him many times over the last two years.”
Napoleon Solo has now worked three times at Belmont, including a sharp five-furlong bullet in 58 seconds flat on October 1 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. The winner of the Grade 1 Preakness in May at Laurel Park will enter the Breeders’ Cup off a pair of half-length runner-up efforts in Grade 1 company, bested by Baby Vino in the NYRA Bets Haskell in July at Monmouth Park and by Leading Change in the DraftKings Travers in August at Saratoga Race Course.
Napoleon Solo will be pre-entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the 10-furlong Breeders’ Cup Classic, with Summers noting the colt will most likely contest the latter.
“It’s all going to be up to the team. We’ll pre-enter in both races, and we’ll see,” Summers said. “At this stage, I would be surprised if we didn’t run in the Classic.”
Summers also updated on promising sophomore colt Game for It, who has been away from the races since a fourth in the Listed Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs. The son of Known Agenda returned to the work tab on September 25 here with the first of two three-furlong breezes, and moved up to a half-mile breeze in 47.70 on Friday.
“He’s just a really special horse,” Summers said. “Unfortunately, he got hurt, but he just loves to train.”
He is campaigned by Gold Square, Wynnstay and Summers, who said Game for It is targeting an allowance in the coming weeks for his return to the races.
A handful of Breeders’ Cup contenders were also on the tab at Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma training track this morning, including Filly and Mare Sprint prospect Ways and Means, who covered a half-mile in 48.86 seconds for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.
Turf Sprint aspirant Cy Fair covered the same distance in 50.64 for trainer George Weaver, while Juvenile Turf prospect Liam’s Law went a half-mile in 51.02 for Hall of Fame conditioner Todd Pletcher.
***
Lennox the Grey goes for graded double in G3 Hill Prince
Willow Pond Stable’s Lennox the Grey notched his first graded stakes win by a nose last out in Colonial Downs’ Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby, and will look to keep the Grade 3 success rolling in Saturday’s $200,000 Hill Prince, a 1 3/16-mile inner turf route for sophomores, at Belmont Park.
The Hill Prince is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race program, which also includes the inaugural running of the $175,000 Bricks and Mortar in Race 8. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.
Trained by Arnaud Delacour, the Liam’s Map gray is 2-for-3 at Colonial for his conditioner after making his first two starts with Catherine Day Phillips last summer at Woodbine Racetrack. Lennox the Grey made his first start for Delacour with a neck second in a one-mile turf allowance in July ahead of a deep-closing 3 1/4-length win from 9 1/2 lengths back in a similar tilt on August 1.
Last out in the nine-furlong Old Dominion Derby on September 7, Lennox the Grey set a pressured pace through splits of 24.57 seconds, 50.80 and 1:15.54, and turned back the reopposing Chambersville before The Big Con briefly took the lead on the inside, but Lennox the Grey put his nose back in front in a final time of 1:49.77, earning a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the win.
“It was definitely a good effort,” Delacour said. “He showed plenty of tactical speed in his previous races, and on paper there wasn’t tons of speed, so I thought he’d end up if not on the lead, then at least close. He inherited the lead and didn’t go too fast and was a good boy. He settled very well and finished strongly, so we couldn’t ask for any more.
“He’s the kind of horse that gets distracted easily, so he was kind of goofing around with the horse on the outside [Chambersville], and when the jockey asked him to really run, I’m not even sure he saw the horse on his inside,” he added. “He’s still a bit immature, but he came with a good run and galloped out really well, so that’s why I was pretty confident that we could add a little more distance if we wanted.”
Delacour said he would expect Lennox the Grey to be prominent again in the Hill Prince.
“I’ll speak to the jockey and come up with a game plan, and hopefully we’ll be not too far from the pace or on it,” Delacour said. “I think he’s matured all summer, so hopefully we’ve got him at his peak and we can take a step forward.”
A $130,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sake, Lennox the Grey is out of the Awesome Again mare Satisfaction, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Dancing Forever that produced graded stakes-placed stakes-winner Miss Yearwood and Grade 2-placed winner Tuggle. The deep family also includes Satisfaction’s half-sister Castanet, who produced Grade 3-winner Carrumba – dam of this year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets-winner Golden Tempo.
Antonio Fresu has the call from post 4 [8-1 ML].
Delacour will also be represented in Saturday’s seven-furlong $175,000 Bricks and Mortar at Belmont with John Roven’s Kentucky homebred Six O Clock, who cuts back to less than one mile for the first time in his sixth lifetime start.
The sophomore son of The Factor was last seen setting the pace and fading to third-of-8 in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on August 27 at Colonial, and looks to earn his first score against winners in the Bricks and Mortar. He graduated on debut going one-mile over the Tampa Bay Downs turf in April, where he tracked in second and pounced to the 4 1/4-length score over the firm footing.
“That’s the key [the cutback], that’s why we’re there,” Delacour said. “I think it’s the perfect distance for him. We’ve tried going a bit longer and he was just too aggressive and didn’t really finish his races. We always thought he had a lot of tactical speed – maybe not five-furlong sprinter speed, but the seven furlongs could work. It’s a much tougher race, but we’re going to take a shot and evaluate him at seven furlongs.”
Dylan Davis will pilot Six O Clock from post 6 [15-1 ML].
Last week, Delacour sent out Mark Grier’s Grade 3-winner Evershed to earn a career-best 93 Beyer with a solid third-place effort to Kathynmarissa in the 10-furlong Grade 2 Flower Bowl on October 1 here. The 4-year-old daughter of Churchill outran her 32-1 odds with a rallying finish that saw her land 1 1/2 lengths back of the winner and just three-quarter-lengths back of runner-up Sunlit Uplands.
Delacour said he was proud of Evershed’s effort, and that she could look to the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3, $250,000 Long Island on November 28 here next.
“It was very good and it looks like every start this year has been a move forward,” he said of the winner of Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 3 Waya in August. “That was only her third race of the year, so I think we still have a pretty fresh filly going into the fall, which is nice. The Long Island is definitely an option. She’s won the Waya at the same distance and I think she’ll appreciate it. I don’t know if we’ll do anything in between, but I’m very happy with how she came back.”
