Oaklawn: Azeri Stakes (G2) Recap

$400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) Recap
Compiled by Robert Yates |

MAJESTIC OOPS – Azeri Stakes (G2) – 40th Running

Saturday, Mar. 7 2026

Trainer Dan Ward is scheduled to have hip replacement surgery later this month. The outcome of Saturday’s Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn should help ease the pain until then.

Ward recorded his biggest career victory to date when Majestic Oops upset champion Nitrogen in the Azeri, a $400,000 Grade 2 event for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles.

Majestic Oops, who was ridden by Francisco Arrieta, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Regaled, with Nitrogen, the 1-5 favorite, another length farther back in third. It was 4 ½ lengths farther back to fourth-place finisher Standoutsensation, who was followed, in order, by La Cara, Perfect Shot and Quietside.

Nitrogen was exiting a 2 ¾-length victory in the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 7, which marked her 4-year-old debut.

Nitrogen appeared poised for an eighth career stakes victory late on the second turn of the Azeri. But Majestic Oops, who broke on top before settling into fourth down the backstretch, swooped past Nitrogen with a four-wide move turning for home and held off late-running Regaled approaching the wire. The winning time over a sloppy, sealed surface was 1:43.36. La Cara, Nitrogen’s stablemate and a millionaire multiple Grade 1 winner, took the field through a :47.17 half-mile.

Majestic Oops, a 9-1 shot, paid $20.60, $11.80 and $2.40. Regaled paid $10.60 and $2.60. Nitrogen paid $2.10. Nitrogen was an Eclipse Award winner as North America’s champion 3-year-old filly of 2025.

Majestic Oops was returning to two turns after launching her 2026 campaign with a sharp 3 ¼-length victory in the six-furlong $150,000 American Beauty Stakes for older fillies and mares Feb. 13.

Ward, a former assistant under Hall of Fame trainers Bobby Frankel and Jerry Hollendorfer, was originally targeting the six-furlong $250,000 Matron Stakes March 27 for Majestic Oops. But co-owner Mark Martinez (Agave Racing Stable) also has an interest in Arkansas-bred star and Matron-bound Haulin Ice and was seeking a graded stakes victory to boost Majestic Oops’ broodmare value, Ward said.

Majestic Oops is a four-time Oaklawn winner. Three victories have been around two turns, including the one-mile $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes last April. Majestic Oops ran ninth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Majestic Oops’ fourth career stakes victory and ninth in 35 starts overall lifted her earnings to $952,309.

The Azeri was the final major local prep for the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 11.

Racing resumes Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (Central).

Azeri Quotes

Winning Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Majestic Oops): “Nice filly. I’m just impressed. She’s so small and skinny. She’s got more heart than anything else. She broke sharp. I knew there were two speed horses in the race, the 6 and 7 (La Cara and Standoutsensation). I just took a little hold, sat and tried to give her a nice, easy trip. I saw the 2 (Nitrogen) was outside in the perfect spot. She was going easy, so I decided to go around and attack early. When I got to her, she just continued going. She’s got a turn of foot. After the three-eighths pole, I let her go and she kept going. She held it.”

Winning Trainer Dan Ward (Majestic Oops): “She broke on top and he (Francisco Arrieta) just sat on her and got her to relax. That’s the key right there. Watch how she breaks? She outbreaks the field, but he knows what to do. That’s why she finishes like that. You get can get her to finish when you get her to settle like that. The two races that she won here last year, it was the same thing.”

Third Place Jockey Jose Ortiz (Nitrogen): “I had a good trip today. I mean, she’s run on the slop before. It was a three-horse race (G3 Wonder Again) that day at Saratoga and did it very nicely. Every slop is different. She had no excuse. She was traveling well. We were very happy with the position. Just didn’t fire.”