Deterministic works over Oklahoma turf course; Nitrogen, Sandman also on tab
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It takes a special horse to get New York Racing Association officials to open the Oklahoma turf course on a Wednesday afternoon for a single workout – a special horse like Deterministic.
Despite overnight rains and a course that was officially listed as “soft," Deterministic turned in yet another in a long series of brilliant works, breezing five furlongs from the half-mile pole in 1:02.13, with the best yet to come on the gallop-out. The four-time Grade 1 winner continued out six panels in 1:14.70 before pulling up down the backstretch after a full mile in 1:39.37, per Daily Racing Form.
Trainer Miguel Clement was quick to praise local officials for accommodating his schedule for Deterministic, especially since his next start will not be over a NYRA track. Instead, it will come a week from Saturday in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile.
“Working him today was always the plan. NYRA is a fantastic training facility and they were very accommodating,” said Clement. “We worked him 11 days out before the Fourstardave and today was 10 days out prior to the Woodbine Mile.”
Deterministic was a popular 1 1/2-length winner of the one-mile Fourstardave on Aug. 8. The victory was the sixth in a row for the 5-year-old son of Liam’s Map, with all of those wins coming in New York. Those included Grade 1 tallies in the Fourstardave and Manhattan in each of the last two seasons at Saratoga.
As for the work itself, Clement couldn’t have been more pleased with his horse’s effort, nor did he have a problem sticking to his training schedule despite having a less-than-firm course to breeze over on Wednesday.
“I wasn’t the least bit concerned with the conditions this morning,” said Clement. “The course was soft but safe, and Deterministic can handle any ground. Not many horses finish up and gallop out like he does, to keep wanting to do more, and I think he’s sitting on yet again another big performance. He’s doing spectacularly well. This race is a big deal for us and I’m very bullish on Deterministic.”
Deterministic wasn’t the only multiple Grade 1 winner on the Saratoga work tab Wednesday. About 90 minutes earlier, over a main track upgraded to “good” after the second renovation break, Nitrogen cruised five furlongs in 1:00.96, completing her final quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds without need of coaxing before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.28 and easing up after seven panels in 1:28 flat.
The work was the second for Nitrogen since her second-place finish behind Sovereignty in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 8. Nitrogen, who ran away to a 12 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps in her only other start here this year, is pointing for the Grade 2 Locust Grove Stakes at Churchill Downs on September 12.
Nitrogen was followed several minutes later by her stablemate, Sandman, who turned in an even more serious five-furlong drill in 59.69 seconds, galloping out seven furlongs in 1:24.86 before easing up after a full mile in 1:38.96. Sandman, idle since February and winless since capturing the 2025 Arkansas Derby, is expected to return against allowance opposition, possibly at Belmont Park, during the fall.