Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro), fresh off an Eclipse Award-winning season in 2025, opened her 4-year-old campaign with a win in the Feb. 7 GIII Bayakoa Stakes–a victory trainer Mark Casse called “the best race she's ever run.” Things didn't go quite as well when the filly faded to third in the Mar. 7 over a sloppy Oaklawn surface in the GII Azeri Stakes, but she will look to get back on track when she returns in the GI Apple Blossom Handicap Saturday at Oaklawn Park. She is the 9-5 morning-line favorite in the race, which offers an automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.
“I think Nitrogen, she likes this fast track,” assistant trainer Caden Arthur, who oversees Casse's Oaklawn division, said after the filly worked five furlongs in 1:01.00 (3/11) at Oaklawn Apr. 1. “Hopefully, we can get that again rather than the sealed [sloppy track] she ran on last time. Hopefully, we get the old Nitrogen back and it kind of looks like it the way she's been working.”
Majestic Oops (Majestic Harbor), who upset Nitrogen in the Azeri, will be looking for her third straight victory in the Apple Blossom. The 6-year-old, third in last year's GI Ballerina Stakes, has won six of eight starts at Oaklawn Park and was earning her first graded win in the Azeri.
West Coast invader Om N Joy (Om) could give her dam Margie's Minute (Hard Spun) her second stakes win of the week after her half-brother Vodka Vodka (Stay Thirsty) won the Sunland Park Stakes last Sunday. The Cal-bred capped a five-race win streak with a victory in the GIII Torrey Pine Stakes last August. She returned in 2026 to finish third behind GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint winner Splendora (Audible) in the Mar. 7 GI Beholder Mile last time out.
Maximum Bourbon | Coady Media
The GIII Count Fleet Sprint Handicap earlier on the Oaklawn card Saturday marks the stakes debut of Maximum Bourbon (Maximum Security). The 4-year-old gelding topped the Fasig-Tipton Digital March sale when selling for $400,000 to Agave Racing and makes his first start for trainer Phil D'Amato.
Roll On Big Joe (Prospective) is the 2-1 morning-line favorite and takes a three-race win streak into the six-furlong race. He most recently captured the Feb. 8 King Cotton Stakes.
Last Chance for Derby Points in Lexington, Lush Lips Returns to Keeneland in Jenny Wiley
The GIII Lexington Stakes will offer sophomores the last chance to earn GI Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Steve Landers Racing's Confessional (Essential Quality) currently sits 31st on the Derby leader board with 15 points thanks to his third-place finish in the Mar. 14 Virginia Derby. The Brad Cox trainee broke his maiden at Keeneland last October.
Shadwell Stable's Ezum (Essential Quality), also from the Cox barn, will be making just his third career start in the Lexington. He romped home a 19 1/2-length maiden winner at Colonial on the Virginia Derby undercard, earning an 87 Beyer.
Ezum | Coady Media
Older fillies and mares will see Grade I action at Keeneland Saturday with Dixana Farms' Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the GI Jenny Wiley Stakes. The 4-year-old captured the GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup Stakes over the Keeneland lawn last October before selling for a sale-topping $3.7 million at the Keeneland November sale the following month. She won the Nov. 28 GII Mrs. Revere Stakes in her first start in the Dixiana colors and returned to win the Feb. 28 GIII Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream last time out.
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