Following her recent 12 3/4-length win in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes Presented by Ford, Nitrogen will set her sights on a highly anticipated showdown against males in the Aug. 8 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Nitrogen was the 2025 Eclipse Award winner as champion 3-year-old filly. Owner Jon Green of D. J. Stable announced the news June 24 on his podcast “Rail Talk.”

There have only been six fillies to win the Whitney, with the last one being Hall of Famer Personal Ensign in 1988 for owner Ogden Phipps and trainer Shug McGaughey. The 4-year-old filly reeled in D. Wayne Lukas trainee and 1988 subsequent champion sprinter Gulch to take the Whitney by 1 1/2 lengths.

“It hasn't happened in about 40 years, which is a little daunting, as far as from a historical standpoint, but we feel that Nitrogen, right now, is at the top of her game,” Green said during the podcast.

The Mark Casse-trained filly exited the Ogden Phipps in good order, swaying her connections to take on males for the first time. Green said her affinity for the track at Saratoga and the nine weeks between races set up perfectly for Nitrogen.

“When she gets that little extra rest and that little extra time to gather herself, she runs lights out,” he said. “Not that we can expect her to improve off her 113 Beyer [Speed Figure] in the Ogden Phipps, but giving her enough time, hopefully avoiding a bounce and giving her those nine weeks between the Phipps and the Whitney, we feel like that's the right setup for her."

Green said the end goal is still the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, held this year at Keeneland Oct. 30-31.

D. J. Stable’s homebred Nitrogen has hit the board in all 16 career starts, banking earnings totaling $2,730,854.