Nitrogen Prepared for Take Off in Wonder Again Stakes

D. J. Stable's Nitrogen  has been unstoppable in 2025. 

The 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro   has won four stakes races, three of them graded, at four different racetracks around the country over both firm and good turf. Despite encountering numerous traffic woes in many of her starts, she's overcome it all and enters the June 7 $300,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) as the deserved morning-line favorite. 

Nitrogen's blistering turn of foot produced one of her best efforts yet in last month's Edgewood Stakes (G2T) on Kentucky Oaks day, resulting in a 3 1/2-length score under Jose Ortiz. 

"She's beautiful. She's big and tall. She's never been much of a workhorse so if you watched her work, you would think she was just average, but when she runs, she explodes when Jose asks her the question," trainer Mark Casse said. 

Casse reported after the Edgewood that a grade 1 victory was on the summer agenda for Nitrogen, who will look to follow in the hoofprints of terrific Casse-trained turf mares Tepin, Got Stormy , and Catch a Glimpse . 

The 1 1/16-mile Wonder Again could serve as a prep for the $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) July 5 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Listed at even money for Saturday, Nitrogen, toting the co-high weight of 123 pounds, will be ridden by Ortiz, her companion in her last five trips to the post.

Casse will also saddle Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Bessie Abott , who faces a tough task in her second North American start. The Irish-bred filly, a winner on debut last summer at Galway, ran second to the Chad Brown-trained Al Jafara , also entered in the Wonder Again, in an allowance contest at Keeneland in April. 

British-bred Al Jafara is one of three contenders for Brown, a six-time winner of the Wonder Again. The trainer will also send out last year's Chelsey Flower Stakes victress Opulent Restraint , runner-up by a neck to Wonder Again third choice Laurelin  in the April 27 Memories of Silver Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Resolute Racing's multiple stakes-placed Virgin Colada , third in the Memories of Silver. 

Laurelin, undefeated in three career starts for trainer Graham Motion, looks to have the best chance to upend the heavy favorite in the Wonder Again. Campaigned by Newstead Stables, the Zarak  filly has been tenacious and game each time. Two-for-two in stakes company, Laurelin is only missing a graded victory on her record.

“You can’t fault her record, that’s for sure," Motion said. "She’s done nothing wrong and impressed me every time she’s run—particularly last time.

"We have liked her a lot since the day she came to us and she has always been professional. I don’t think I’ve been surprised by any of her races.”

Impressive last-out maiden winner Love You Anyway  and KatieRich Stable's May Day Ready , making her 3-year-old debut for trainer Joseph Lee after taking last fall's Jessamine Stakes (G2T) and running second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1T), complete the field.