Sent off as the heavy favorite to earn her first victory, Nitrogen didn’t disappoint her backers as she rallied determinedly in the stretch to win the Listed Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, 4 January.
Even though she had yet to reach the winner’s circle prior to the Ginger Brew, the newly-turned three-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro had been knocking on the door – she was twice G1-placed as a juvenile, most recently in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.
Settled off the pace in sixth early by jockey Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen was full of run but was stuck behind a wall of horses with nowhere to go on the far turn. A seam appeared with a furlong left to run and Nitrogen took advantage of it, slipping through before hitting another gear to just get up in the shadow of the wire to win by a half-length over Love Cervere. Civetta was just a head further back in third.
Nitrogen was bred in Kentucky by her owner, D.J. Stable LLC, and is out of the mare, Tiffany Case, a Stakes-placed daughter of Uncle Mo. In addition to Nitrogen, Tiffany Case is also the dam of Love To Shop (by Violence), winner of the Listed Toronto Cup and second in both the G2 Bessarabian Stakes and G3 Ontario Fashion Stakes.
Nitrogen is one of several recent Stakes winners for Medaglia d’Oro, who closed out 2024 on a hot streak. In just November and December alone, the stallion was represented by Meshtri, winner of both the G2 Al Maktoum Mile and Listed Dubai Creek Mile at Meydan and by Good Cheer, undefeated in four starts and the winner of both the G2 Pocahontas Stakes and Listed Rags to Riches Stakes.
Additional 2024 Graded Stakes winners include East Avenue (G1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity), Grand Sonata (G2 Kentucky Turf Cup) and Loved (G3 Falls City Stakes).
Medaglia d’Oro will stand the 2025 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $75,000, stands and nurses.
