Nitrogen runs down Lush Lips in Florida Oaks

OLDSMAR, Fla. - Nitrogen continued trainer Mark Casse’s strong winter with his 3-year-old turf fillies by running down a loose-on-the-lead Lush Lips to win Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Florida Oaks by a half-length at Tampa Bay Downs.

It was four lengths back to Deloraine in third.

The win was the second stakes victory of the year for Nitrogen, a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro owned by D J Stable. Casse and D J Stable also campaign Vixen, who is 2 for 2 in stakes races this winter at Gulfstream Park.

Casse chose the Florida Oaks for Nitrogen over the Herecomesthebride - won last week by Vixen - because he thought she would appreciate the added distance of the race - 1 1/16 miles compared to a mile - and a Tampa Bay course that is kinder to late runners than is Gulfstream.

Indeed, Nitrogen, under Jose Ortiz, needed all of the distance and the stretch to reel-in Lush Lips, who tried to steal the race under Tyler Gaffalione.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Lush Lips was going rather comfortably through fractions of 23.15 seconds for the quarter, a half-mile in 47.15 and six furlongs in 1:10.15 while Opulent Restraint was tracking her. Lush Lips slipped away from Opulent Restraint in upper stretch, but Ortiz had Nitrogen on the move and though she wandered a path or two in the lane, Ortiz pushed Nitrogen past Lush Lips late for the victory.

“I was a little concerned if she was going to get there, but she just gets there,” Casse said. “I thought ‘Oh, boy, I gotta run this horse down.’ ”

Nitrogen covered the 1 1/16 miles in1:40.42 - a stakes record - and returned $5 as the favorite.

Ortiz said Lush Lips “wasn’t very contested on the lead, I knew she was going to be tough. I was going to make a move on the backside, but I didn’t feel like it, so I came back and saved some ground and then made a run and when I tipped her out she gave me a good turn of foot.”

Gaffalione said he was enjoying his trip and it took a good horse to run Lush Lips down.

“I got away with pretty comfortable fractions, she was doing it well within herself, top of the lane I asked her and she really kicked on nice,” Gaffalione said. “She finished up strong to the wire, just second-best today.”

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.