Nitrogen goes half-mile for Whitney, Counting Stars works five furlongs for CCA Oaks
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Mark Casse had his two Grade 1 stakes-winning fillies on the main track early Sunday morning, putting them through workouts for their upcoming stakes engagements.
Nitrogen, dominant winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps last month, went a half-mile in 47.84 seconds as she continues to prepare for her start against males in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 8. A few moments earlier, Counting Stars, winner of the Grade 1 Acorn last month, went five furlongs in 1:00.31 with a strong gallop out of 1:12.84 and 1:26.99. Counting Stars is preparing for a start in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 25.
“I went ahead and let Counting Stars do a little bit more because she runs a little sooner,” Casse said. “I thought she went excellent. She’d go in 58 [seconds] if you let her. Both of those fillies are push-button, they’ll do whatever you want them to do, which is nice.”
The decision to run Nitrogen in the Whitney was announced before Magnitude won the Grade 1 Stephen Foster so impressively at Churchill Downs on June 28. Magnitude, Sovereignty, Baeza and White Abarrio have all been mentioned as pointing to the Whitney. Casse said he’s undeterred.
“I didn’t say I was going anywhere,” he said.
Casse is resigned to the fact that he will need a new rider for the Whitney as it is expected Jose Ortiz will remain with Magnitude.
In addition to Counting Stars, Casse plans to run Measure in the Coaching Club. Measure, a daughter of Essential Quality, is coming off a second-place finish to Directive in a first-level allowance here on June 4. Directive and Always a Runner, the Kentucky Oaks winner, are both trained by Chad Brown and are both expected for the CCA Oaks.
Measure worked Sunday morning over the main track in company with the 3-year-colt Silent Tactic, the two going in 48.60 seconds.
Silent Tactic, the Southwest Stakes winner who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a foot bruise, is preparing for a likely start in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy here on Aug. 1. The Grade 2 West Virginia Derby on Aug. 9 is also a possibility.
“We’ve breezed him three or four times and we’re on schedule,” Casse said. “I’m not saying he’s going to win the Jim Dandy, but if he gave us a good performance that’ll set him up for more stuff down the road.”
Meanwhile, Casse said he will likely try Ewing on the turf in the $225,000 Quick Call Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs on July 19. On Sunday, Ewing worked a half-mile in 47.38 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course, his first breeze on turf.
“He’s a little speedster,” Casse said. “He got over the ground good.”
Last summer, Ewing won his maiden by 12 lengths and the Grade 2 Saratoga Special by one length on dirt here. He didn’t race again until February, when he finished sixth in the Ozark Stakes at Oaklawn.
Casse will also run El Magnate in the Quick Call. El Magnate is 2 for 2, both wins coming at Woodbine. In his first start, he leapt in the air and then clipped heels and bobbled going into the far turn and still won.
El Magnate worked a half-mile in 50.52 seconds over the turf.
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