Horses from Claiborne Families Have Won a Dozen Stakes – Including 3 Grade 1 Races – at Saratoga this Summer
Story by B. Jason Brooks
Horses from Claiborne Farm female families are having outstanding summer at Saratoga, with Nitrogen winning the Alabama Stakes (G1) on Saturday to join Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) winner Scottish Lassie and Jaipur Stakes (G1) winner Ag Bullet who have top-tier races this summer at The Spa.
With the rich history as the oldest Thoroughbred track in the U.S. and the competition being at such a high level, earning a trip to the Saratoga winners’ circle is difficult and special, let alone collecting hardware from a stakes or grade 1 race.
In addition to the three grade 1s, nine other stakes races have been won by horses from Claiborne families, bringing the total to a dozen so far this summer, with two full weeks of The Spa meet still to go.
Nitrogen’s Alabama Stakes win was her second graded win of the summer at Saratoga after having romped to a memorable 17-length victory in the Wonder Again Stakes (G3). In addition to the four graded wins, eight other stakes races have been won by horses representing Claiborne families, all with purses of $150,000 or more.
Nitrogen’s Racing Career
With jockey Jose Ortiz in the irons for the 145th Alabama Stakes going a mile and a quarter on the fast dirt, Nitrogen broke out from the gate but quickly recovered, settling in second to the outside of stablemate La Cara and going four wide into the first turn. Nitrogen stalked her stablemate up the backstretch before responding to urging in the far turn. She advanced on La Cara and kicked clear at the quarter pole, winning by a length and a half.
Nitrogen defeated a strong field that included Tracy Farmer’s homebred Ashland Stakes (G1) and Acorn Stakes (G1) winner La Cara, by Street Sense, and Godolphin’s homebred Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer, by Medaglia d’Oro.
With the Alabama being Nitrogen’s third start at Saratoga this summer, she entered the race having finished runner-up last time out over the turf in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) in July. Prior to that, her Saratoga debut in June was an impressive win of the Wonder Again Stakes (G3), a race moved off the turf that revealed her ability to excel on the dirt as well as she has on the turf.
Nitrogen’s Wonder Again victory came after four consecutive stakes wins on the turf this year. They included the listed Ginger Brew Stakes in January at Gulfstream, the Florida Oaks (G3) in March at Tampa, the Appalachian Stakes (G2) in April at Keeneland, and the Edgewood Stakes in May at Churchill Downs. Her success this year has made her a leading contender for the Eclipse champion 3-year-old filly award.
Her juvenile campaign included finishing runner-up in a maiden special weight race in August followed by placing in the Natalma Stakes (G1) in September, both over the turf at Woodbine. She came to the U.S. for her third career start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in November where she finished third. Despite being a maiden, the Kentucky-bred’s stand-out campaign earned her the Canadian champion 2-year-old filly award.
Nitrogen’s Family
A homebred for Leonard and Jonathan Green’s D.J. Stable, Medaglia d’Oro filly Nitrogen hails from the Star in the North branch of Claiborne foundation mare Lighted Lamp, her fourth and fifth dams, respectively. Nitrogen’s fifth dam Lighted Lamp, by Sir Gaylord, was bred by Lazy F Ranch and was winless while racing at the ages of 2 and 3. Despite not having a successful racing career, she came from a successful European family that made her an attractive broodmare. Out of Goyama (FR) mare Chandelier (GB), she was a half-sister to the 1962 English champion 2-year-old Crocket (GB), by King of the Tudors (GB), sire Torus (GB), by Ribero, runner-up in the classic Irish St. Ledger (G1), and Crystal Light, by Never Say Die, producer of two winners of French group stakes races.
Lighted Lamp produced two fillies co-bred by Claiborne and Walter Jones Jr. before she was sent to England. They included first-crop Nijinsky II (CAN) mare Lighted Glory and Northern Dancer (CAN) mare Star in the North.
Lighted Glory raced in France where she was a group 3 winner and produced a successful family of three classic winners that include 2004 French Oaks (G1) winner Latice (IRE), by Inchinor (GB), 2007 French Derby winner Lawman (FR), by Invincible Spirit (IRE), and 2024 French Derby (G1) winner Look de Vega (FR), by Lope de Vega (IRE).
Nitrogen’s Claiborne-bred fourth dam Star in the North raced in England where she was group 3-placed. She is the dam of Pin Oak Farm Kentucky-bred Cool, by Bold Bidder, winner of the 1985 Manhattan Stakes (G1), Mountain Kingdom, by Exceller, a multiple group stakes winner and runner-up in the 1987 British St. Leger (G1), and Nitrogen’s unraced third dam Bibical Sense, by Blushing Groom (FR).
Bibical Sense produced Nitrogen’s second dam Biblical Point, by Point Given, who won one race from 11 starts for owner Tracy Farmer. Bred by Barry Stein, Stephen DiMauro, and The Thoroughbred Corporation, Biblical Point is a half-sister to Violence mare Talk Veuve to Me who won the 2018 Indiana Oaks (G3) after finishing runner-up in the Acorn Stakes (G1).
Nitrogen is the second foal out of stakes-placed Uncle Mo mare Tiffany Case who earned black-type by finishing third in the 2018 West Virginia Secretary of State Stakes. She retired that year at the age of 5 with five wins from 13 career starts.
Tiffay Case’s first foal is D.J. Stable-bred Violence mare Love To Shop – a three-quarter sibling to Nitrogen – who won the listed Toronto Cup in 2023 and placed in four graded stakes races, all at Woodbine for owner partners Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. Love to Shop was sold earlier this year from the Claiborne Farm consignment at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, attracting a co-sale-topping $700,000 as a racing or broodmare prospect from Jim and Dana Bernhard’s Pin Oak Stud. Tiffay Case’s third foal is an unraced Gun Runner filly named Sniper and, after not producing a foal in 2025, she was bred to Not This Time.
Nitrogen’s Claiborne family descending from Lighted Lamp includes champions and grade 1 winners in the U.S. and Europe who continue winning at the highest levels.
Other Saratoga Grade 1 Winners from Claiborne Families
The two other Saratoga grade1 races won this summer by horses from Claiborne families both have immediate family members who also won important graded races at The Spa.
Scottish Lassie, by McKinzie, won the fillies classic Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga in July, her second elite win after having captured the Frizette Stakes (G1) last year. She is from Pompey mare Athemion’s branch of Claiborne foundation mare Sicklefeather, by Sickle (GB). Scottish Lassie’s second dam is a full sister to grade 1-winning sire Visionaire, by Grand Slam, winner of Saratoga’s 2008 King’s Bishop Stakes (G1).
Twirling Candy 5-year-old mare Ag Bullet won the Jaipur Stakes (G1) in June after having won the Monrovia Stakes (G3) and Ladies Turf Sprint Stakes (G3) last year. Ag Bullet is from the Sun Spot branch of Sunstep and her second dam is a half-sister to How About Now, by Pentelicus, winner of the 1996 Schuylerville Stakes (G2) at Saratoga.
Other Saratoga Stakes Winners from Claiborne Families
In addition to Nitrogen, Scottish Lassie, and Ag Bullet’s four combined graded wins this summer at Saratoga, the eight additional stakes winners at The Spa from Claiborne families include the following:
- multiple graded stakes-winning and multiple grade 1-placed millionaire My Mane Squeeze, by Audible, who was hand ridden to a 6 ¼-length victory in the $150,000 Johnstone Stakes. The 4-year-old filly is from the Risque branch of Claiborne’s imported foundation mare Venturesome (GB);
- Clear Conscience, by Claborne stallion Blame, who won the $200,000 Kingston Stakes by a head bob. A 5-year-old gelding, her damline goes back to the Quillesian’s branch of Claiborne foundation mare Alanesian;
- Kingsolver, by Claiborne stallion War Front’s multiple grade 1-winning son Omana Beach, who broke her maiden at second asking in the $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes. The juvenile filly’s Claiborne family is the Cleopatra branch of Gallice (GB);
- Bank Frenzy, by Claiborne-consigned Central Banker, won his fifth career stakes win in the $200,000 Commentator Stakes. The 5-year-old gelding’s tail-female line traces back to the Whirlabout branch of Dustwhirl;
- Spinning Colors, by Hard Spun, who edged clear to a 2 ½-length win in the $200,000 Mt. Vernon Stakes. The 5-year-old mare is from the Hopespringseternal branch of Claiborne foundation mare Rose Bower;
- Mommy’s Turn, by Mendelssohn, who rallied to win her stakes debut by two lengths in the $150,000 Suzie O’Cain Stakes. A 3-year-old filly, she hails from the elite Yarn branch of Knight’s Daughter (GB);
- Snow Face Princess, by Midshipman, who got up at the wire to win her stakes debut in the $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes. The juvenile filly descends from the Family Line branch of Effie B.; and,
- Doc Sullivan, by Solomini, who surged at the finish line to take the $150,000 John Morrissey Stakes. The 4-year-old colt’s damline includes the Charred Keg branch of Claiborne’s Tea Biscuit.
Winning a Saratoga stakes race is a highly sought-after achievement and it has been an especially successful one for the breeders and owners of horses from Claiborne female families.