Jose Ortiz wins Breeders' Cup double with Nitrogen and Kathynmarissa

Jose Ortiz rode Nitrogen and Kathynmarissa to victories on the second day of the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland on Saturday, winning the Distaff and Filly & Mare Turf. The Guardian's live race coverage reported that Nitrogen beat Fully Subscribed on dirt, while Kathynmarissa defeated Gimme A Nother on turf earlier in the programme.

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Nitrogen, trained by Mark Casse, started the Grade One Distaff as the 3-5 favourite in a seven-runner field. Super Corredora took the early lead, with Nitrogen initially racing third and Fully Subscribed further back in fifth. The opening quarter-mile was completed in 23.57 seconds, and Super Corredora continued to set the pace through the first half of the race.

Ortiz moved Nitrogen to the outside in the stretch and sent her into the lead. Fully Subscribed gave chase but could not catch her, finishing second ahead of Measure. The victory came over a mile and a furlong, with Nitrogen adding another major dirt success to a season that had already included a dominant performance at Saratoga.

The four-year-old had beaten Fully Subscribed by 12 and three-quarter lengths in the Grade One Ogden Phipps at Saratoga in June. Fully Subscribed, trained by Chad Brown, had subsequently won three races before their Breeders' Cup meeting. That sequence included a nine-and-three-quarter-length victory in the Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga in August, but Nitrogen again finished ahead of her at Keeneland.

Earlier, Ortiz had brought Kathynmarissa through to win the Filly & Mare Turf, which attracted 12 runners. Classic Q led during the race before Gimme A Nother moved in front with a furlong remaining. Kathynmarissa then closed quickly and went past to take the victory, having started at 5-1 on the local tote.

Gimme A Nother held second, with Willie McCreery's Jancis finishing third as the highest-placed European-trained runner. Blue Bolt, a multiple Group One winner during the year, and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Precise both finished unplaced. Their defeats were part of a difficult day for several prominent European runners, while Ortiz secured victories across the meeting's two racing surfaces.