Majestic Oops notches upset of Nitrogen in Azeri Stakes
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HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Majestic Oops won the most prestigious race of her career on Saturday when the 6-year-old mare upset champion Nitrogen in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri run over a sloppy, sealed track at Oaklawn Park.
“Hats off to the winner,” said Mark Casse, who trains Nitrogen. “The winner’s a good horse.”
Majestic Oops won by three-quarters of a length over a fast-closing Regaled, while it was a length back in third to Nitrogen. The trio of runners all competed in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, with Nitrogen running second as a 3-year-old in a performance that helped her lock up the Eclipse Award. Regaled was third in the BC Distaff and Majestic Oops was ninth.
The Azeri served as the final local steppingstone to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap next month at Oaklawn.
Majestic Oops ($20.60), who is trained by Dan Ward, broke on top Saturday and settled in third along the rail as La Cara took the field through fractions of 23.78 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.17 for the half-mile and 1:11.41 for six furlongs.
Nitrogen, who had been racing alongside Majestic Oops, launched a three-wide move around the final turn to take the lead into the stretch, while jockey Francisco Arrieta angled Majestic Oops off the fence and outside all her rivals into the lane. She rallied to get past Nitrogen, then held off Regaled, who was motoring up the rail in the late stages.
Majestic Oops covered the 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares in 1:43.36.
“She broke sharp,” Arrieta told publicity at Oaklawn. “I knew there were two speed horses in the race, [La Cara and Standoutsensation]. I just took a little hold, sat, and tried to give her a nice, easy trip. I saw [Nitrogen] was outside in the perfect spot. She was going easy, so I decided to go around and attack early. When I got to her, she just continued going. She’s got a turn of foot. After the three-eighths pole, I let her go and she kept going. She held it.”
Majestic Oops earned $228,000 for the win to push her career bankroll to $952,309. She is now 9 for 35. The Azeri was the fourth career stakes win for Majestic Oops, who came into the race off a sprint stakes win at Oaklawn.
Nitrogen, who was ridden by regular jockey Jose Ortiz, came into the Azeri off a win in the Grade 3 Bayakoa last month at Oaklawn. The track was fast for the Bayakoa, but the surface was sloppy throughout the card Saturday after lightning and heavy rains in the morning hours forced the cancellation of training. Casse took the results in stride Saturday.
“Disappointed, but it wasn’t like she didn’t show up,” he said. “It wasn’t her day. But she tried. I thought she got a good trip. Jose said she was a lot more tired this time than the last one. Maybe she struggled a little bit with the racetrack.
“She can hold her head up high. She tried. Today wasn’t her day. We’ll rebound. The plan is still, as long as everything is good, to head to the Apple Blossom.”
Majestic Oops is likely headed in that direction, too, Ward said in an interview conducted by Oaklawn. Majestic Oops is a daughter of Majestic Harbor who races for Medallian Racing, Evan Trommer, Agave Racing Stable and Sheila Regan.
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