It is a big three-day series for Woodbine’s leading trainer MARK CASSE as he brings back star runners NITROGEN and SANDMAN on Saturday and has up-and-coming three-year-old stars STRATEGIC RISK and COUNTING STARS in stakes races Friday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
A champion at two and three, Nitrogen’s quest to become a champion at four begins Saturday in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares.
The Bayakoa headlines an 11-race card that begins at noon (Central). The 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa goes as the ninth race, with probable post time 4:13 p.m.
Nitrogen, a homebred for D J Stable (Jon and Leonard Green), won a Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion two-year-old filly in 2024 and an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion three-year-old filly of 2025.
During a busy nine-race campaign last year, the versatile Nitrogen captured six stakes, including the Alabama (G1) at 1 ¼ miles Aug. 16 at Saratoga, off-the-turf Wonder Again (G3) at one mile June 7 at Saratoga, grassy Edgewood (G2) at 1 1/16 miles in May at Churchill Downs and the grassy Appalachian (G2) at one mile in April at Keeneland. Nitrogen hasn’t started since finishing second against older females in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at 1 1/8 miles Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Casse is using the Bayakoa as Nitrogen’s bridge to Oaklawn’s $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 7 and the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 11.
“I had kind of thought that I wouldn’t run her until the Azeri, but she’s sharp,” Casse said. “One, I brought her back a little quicker than I planned just because she doesn’t handle time off well. She’s got a lot of energy and I was afraid she was going to hurt herself resting, so I put her back in training a little quicker than I anticipated. Still, at that point and time, I thought that we would probably still be going to the Azeri. But she started training so well that the Bayakoa then ended up on our radar.”
Casse said Nitrogen resumed training in late November. Nitrogen had two published workouts (Dec. 31 and Jan. 7) at Casse’s Florida training center before shipping to Oaklawn. She arrived Jan. 11. Nitrogen posted a five-furlong bullet workout (1:00) Jan. 17. The track was then closed for training for nine days (Jan. 24-Feb. 1) because of a winter storm.
“Her last work at Oaklawn was really good – galloped out strong,” Casse said. “It would have been nice to have one more breeze, but she’s ready.”
Nitrogen, the 4-5 program favorite, drew post 7 in the seven-horse field. Regular rider Jose Ortiz has the mount.
Meanwhile, Casse’s most popular trainee, Sandman (Tapit) returns to the races in the fourth event Saturday, an optional claiming allowance race at 1 1/16 miles. Sandman won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby last spring at Oaklawn, was seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and a good third in the Preakness Stakes (G1). Unraced since he tried grass in the Nashville Derby (G3) at Kentucky Downs last August, Sandman will be racing with Lasix for the first time and he has post position one with Jose Ortiz riding.
Casse has any number of three-year-old prospects for possible starts in Triple Crown races and some of them compete on Friday in the re-scheduled Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes for three-year-old fillies, also at 1 1/16 miles.
Casse has Smarty Jones Stakes’ one-two finishers STRATEGIC RISK and SILENT TACTIC in the Southwest and both are major contenders for the win. In the Martha Washington, Casse sends out stakes winner COUNTING STARS and SEARCH PARTY.
~ with files from Oaklawn media
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