Nitrogen could return sooner than expected in Bayakoa

Nitrogen, an Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, will start her 4-year-old season a month earlier than anticipated if she continues to work as sharply as she has of late, trainer Mark Casse said Wednesday.

Nitrogen, who was freshened after running second in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November, was targeting a return in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri on March 7 at Oaklawn. However, those plans changed after she breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00 at the Hot Springs, Ark., track on Jan. 17.

“We’re now looking like if Nitrogen gets another really nice breeze in the next little while, she’s going to run in the Bayakoa,” Casse said.

The Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa for fillies and mares is Feb. 7. It will be run over 1 1/16 miles. The Bayakoa serves as one of Oaklawn’s stepping stones to the track’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11.

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Nitrogen is a D.J. Stable homebred who last year won the Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga. From there, she was second in the Grade 1 Spinster at Keeneland in her first start against older rivals, then closed out her campaign in the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Nitrogen suggested she might be coming to hand earlier than expected in a Jan. 7 workout, going a half-mile in 48.60 seconds at Casse Training Center in Ocala, Fla.

“She didn’t get as big a break because she doesn’t do well having a break, so we gave her shorter break than we intended to,” Casse said. “I brought her back and breezed her easy, then I came back and breezed her, and she had not lost any of her fitness at that point in time.”

Nitrogen’s third work back was the move at Oaklawn.

“Her breeze the other day was really good,” said Casse.

Jose Ortiz is the regular rider of Nitrogen, an earner of over $2 million.

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