Churchill Downs Stakes Recap & Quotes: The Edgewood

May 02, 2025 Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein

D. J. Stable’s homebred Nitrogen continued to dominate the 3-year-old filly turf division by coasting to a 3 1/2-length victory over Lush Lips (GB) in winning the 41st running of the $600,000 Edgewood Presented by Accenture (GII) for 3-year-old fillies Friday afternoon.

Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Nitrogen completed the mile and a sixteenth on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:41.58. The victory was the third in the race for Casse, who won in 2016 with Catch a Glimpse and 2017 with La Coronel.

Gowells Delight set the pace unopposed with Vixen second and Nitrogen third until the far turn when Vixen went after the leader and Nitrogen chasing right behind her.

Nitrogen moved three wide into the stretch, hit the front at the eighth pole and drew off for her fourth consecutive stakes victory. She is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case.

Nitrogen returned $3.94, $2.66 and $2.10. Lush Lips, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $3.88 and $2.58 and finished a nose in front of Vixen, who paid $2.42 to show under Irad Ortiz Jr.

It was another three-quarters of a length back to Aterradora (IRE) with Gowells Delight and Hideaway following in order.

EDGEWOOD QUOTES

Jose Ortiz (Jockey, Nitrogen, winner) – “She broke great and put me into a great position around both turns. When I tipped out at the quarter pole she was loaded. Very simple trip. She’s amazing.”

Mark Casse (Trainer, Nitrogen, winner) – “She’s amazing, isn’t she? I keep saying this but her race in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies Turf), she could have given the winner a run for the money if she didn’t have a rough trip. She has just built from that race. She’s so nice because she shuts off for Jose (Ortiz) and he taps her on the shoulder and she takes off. She is usually outside but they had her pinned in a little bit. She’s a big filly and she pushed her way out and said ‘get out of my way.’”

Flavien Prat (Jockey, Lush Lips-GB, second) – “She broke slow so it kind of changed my plan. She was a bit keen but made a really good run.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (Jockey, Vixen, third) – “The trip was beautiful. I was in a good position behind the leader. I waited as long as I could and when I asked her to run, she gave me a great effort. We were unlucky we got caught for second.”