First Row Partners and Team Hanley's reigning champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive garnered a 97 Beyer Speed Figure while earning her fourth overall graded stakes triumph in Saturday's Bed o' Roses (G2) at Belmont Park.
Trainer Chad Brown indicated Sunday that Goodnight Olive will likely target the seven-furlong $500,000 Ballerina (G1) on August 26 at Saratoga Race Course, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.
Goodnight Olive's championship season saw her capture last year's Ballerina en route to a 2 1/2-length win over fellow Eclipse Award winner Echo Zulu in the reeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland. In Saturday's seven-furlong Bed o Roses she made amends following a troubled third in the Derby City Distaff (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs, which halted a seven-race win streak.
Under a well-executed ride by Irad Ortiz Jr., who piloted five winners on Saturday's program, Goodnight Olive took to the rear of the compact five-horse field down the backstretch. She made a four-wide move at the quarter pole and collared multiple graded stakes winners Wicked Halo and Caramel Swirl in the final furlong to win by a neck.
Brown credited Ortiz for executing a well-judged ride.
“He rode a great race and really made all the right calls throughout the race to keep himself out of trouble. The mare really came through and made a couple different moves in the race. I couldn't be prouder of the horse and Irad both,” Brown said.
Following the Bed o' Roses, Brown toyed with the idea of stretching her out to two turns, but said Sunday morning that he will likely keep the 5-year-old dark bay mare doing what she does best.
“The more I thought about it, I'll just keep her sprinting and probably freshen her up for the Ballerina,” Brown said. “It's the wrong time to do it [try two turns].”
Goodnight Olive is by 2004 Horse of the Year and Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, who Brown worked with when assisting the late Hall of Fame horseman Bobby Frankel.
“They are very similar horses,” said Brown, when asked if there were any similarities between Goodnight Olive and her talented sire. “They look the same, they've had the same physical issues in the same areas. She's got the heart, the will to win and the brilliance of him.
“I've trained three really, really top Ghostzapper fillies: her, and [Grade 1 winners] Guarana and Paulassilverlining,” Brown added. “All three are outstanding horses. This one is the closest to her dad with all of her attributes.”
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