Nitrogen Anchors Seven-Horse Azeri Stakes Field as Casse Confirms La Cara

Nitrogen will anchor a seven-horse field in the Grade 2, $400,000 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 7, drawing post 7 and listed as the 4-5 program favorite with Jose Ortiz named to ride. Trainer Mark Casse also confirmed that millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner La Cara is expected to start, setting up a Casse showdown in the key Oaklawn prep for the April 11 Apple Blossom Handicap.

The Azeri is scheduled at 1 1/16 miles and is the ninth race on an 11-race Oaklawn card that begins at 12:30 p.m. CST, with a probable post time of 4:44 p.m. CST. Nominations for the race closed Feb. 21 with 27 nominees; entries and the post position draw produced the seven-horse field that will contest the $400,000 Grade 2 event.

Running from the rail outward, the field lists Perfect Shot (post 1) for trainer Steven Asmussen with Erik Asmussen up, carrying 121 pounds after winning the Houston Ladies Classic G3. Nitrogen occupies post 2 in some tables and post 7 in Canadianthoroughbred’s program entry; she is shown at 121 pounds for Casse with Jose Ortiz riding following a 2 3/4-length victory in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes Feb. 7. Majestic Oops (post 3) for Dan Ward with Francisco Arrieta carries 119 pounds after a 3 1/4-length score in the $150,000 American Beauty Stakes on Feb. 13. Quietside (post 4) for John Ortiz with Ramon Vazquez carries 119 after finishing third in the Bayakoa. Regaled is listed with Joe Ramos and 119 pounds. La Cara is in the field for Casse with Cristian Torres up at 119 and comes off a fifth-place finish as the favorite in the $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic on Jan. 24. Standoutsensation closes the field for Tom Amoss with Luis Saez and 121 pounds listed.

Nitrogen’s résumé includes a 6-4-2 record from 12 starts and career earnings of $2,046,604; she is a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro and has graded stakes wins on both turf and dirt, including the Alabama Stakes G1 on Aug. 16, 2025. Sources differ on her Eclipse Award status: some reports call her North America’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, while a Jan. 13 Truenicks note described her as among three finalists for that Eclipse Award.

Casse outlined the reasoning behind Nitrogen’s quick return to the races. “I had kind of thought that I wouldn’t run her until the Azeri, but she’s sharp. 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 added, “Her last work at Oaklawn was really good - galloped out strong. It would have been nice to have one more breeze, but she’s ready.”

Caden Arthur, assistant trainer overseeing Casse’s Oaklawn division, said Jan. 13, “She looks great. She's healthy right now and we're very excited for her 4-year-old campaign here at Oaklawn Park with her.” Nitrogen’s recent published workouts include Dec. 31 and Jan. 7 at Casse’s Florida base, a five-furlong bullet in 1:00 at Oaklawn on Jan. 17, and a half-mile in :49.60 over a fast track as reported in training notes. La Cara worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 over a fast track as Casse prepared her for the Azeri: “They worked well. We only went a half, which was always the plan, with Nitrogen. She just ran. She didn’t need as much. La Cara, it’s been a little while, so we put a little stronger work in her.”

The Azeri serves as Oaklawn’s final major local prep for the April 11 Apple Blossom Handicap, and with Casse sending multiple contenders and several other stakes-proven runners entered, the March 7 renewal shapes up as a key form test for older fillies and mares heading to the spring stakes calendar.