Elite Power, Goodnight Olive Repeat as Champion Sprinters

Elite Power (Curlin) and Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) repeated as Eclipse champion sprinters during Thursday's ceremony in Florida.

Juddmonte's Elite Power traveled to Saudi Arabia to begin 2023 with a win in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint. Returned stateside, he won the GII True North S. and GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. before having an eight-race win streak interrupted with a runner-up effort in the GI Forego S. at Saratoga in August. He returned to the winner's circle and earned his second straight win in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint just over two months later.

First Row Partners & Team Hanley's Goodnight Olive opened 2023 with a win in the GI Madison S. at Keeneland in April. She won the GII Bed o' Roses S. before finishing second to Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the Aug. 26 GI Ballerina H. With that fellow Eclipse finalist injured, Goodnight Olive swept to her second straight win in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. Just days later, the 5-year-old mare sold for $6 million to John Stewart at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

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“An Amazing Ride,” Hanley Prepares For Last Chapter with Goodnight Olive

Jay Hanley considers himself lucky to have had more than his fair share of highs in horse racing, but he has also gone through plenty of mishaps, frustrations and heartbreaks.

A co-owner of champion Lady Eli (Divine Park), he was there for the ups and downs of the extraordinary mare's career as she fought a seemingly insurmountable battle with laminitis and returned to the top of the sport.

Then there is Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper – Salty Strike, Smart Strike), who overcame two setbacks early in her career and went on to take her ownership group on an unforgettable journey as she earned championship honors for top female sprinter last year and now looks to defend her title for 2023.

“Her career has meant the world to me,” Hanley reflected. “To get to watch her up there on stage doing her thing has been absolutely magical for my family, my partners and me. I've been very lucky and blessed in my ownership career, but there is no horse that means more to me than Goodnight Olive. She is a testament to generations of breeding, to Liz Crow who selected her, and to Chad Brown and his team that cared for her because there was nothing easy about her career.”

A graduate of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale, Goodnight Olive is a daughter of Ghostzapper out of MGSW Salty Strike (Smart Strike). She was an $170,000 purchase by Liz Crow for the ownership group of Team Hanley and Steve Laymon's First Row Partners.

“This filly's pedigree really stood out in the book,” Crow recalled of her purchase. “It's hard to find a Ghostzapper filly that is out of such an accomplished mare. When I saw her, she was very athletic. She was bred by Stonestreet–one of the best breeders in the country. I think she was in the October Sale because they wanted to give her a little more time to develop. She's a really big, strong filly now but when we bought her, she was a little on the small side and just hadn't quite developed into the beast she is today. Chad is generally right on about a horse's talent level and he loved her from day one. She just took some time to get going.”

Enthusiastic owners celebrate Goodnight Olive's 2022 GI Ballerina H. | Sarah Andrew

Definitively breaking her maiden by eight and a half lengths at Keeneland in her second start, Goodnight Olive won her next two races as a sophomore with an ease that was reminiscent of her sire's brilliant career.

“Right away when she came into the barn she reminded me of Ghostzapper,” Brown explained. “I was lucky enough to be around that horse quite a bit when I worked for Bobby Frankel and I've had good luck with Ghostzapper offspring. Goodnight Olive has a ton of heart like her father and she has never had a bad day of training.”

Toward the end of Goodnight Olive's 3-year-old season, ankle chip issues that had prevented her from racing as a juvenile resurfaced and she was forced to the sideline. Hanley recalls his emotions at that time.

“When I first found out she had to take another break, I was a little sad,” he admitted. “These generational talents don't come around that often. I was sad for the sport because while we knew what we had, the sport didn't yet.”

But Hanley and his partners were rewarded for their patience when Goodnight Olive returned as a 4-year-old last year. Her undefeated season culminated with an eye-catching graded stakes debut in the GI Ballerina H. followed by a 2½-length victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, besting a field that included champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and three other Grade I winners.

“That was my favorite win by far,” said Hanley. “It's rare in a seven furlong race at the Breeders' Cup level when you know you have the race won at the quarter pole. I was down by the finish line and we were cheering her on from the moment she put her nose in front right around the turn. That was 15 seconds of pure elation.”

Sarah Andrew

The 2022 Champion Female Sprinter, Goodnight Olive returned at five this year to claim her third straight Grade I score in the Madison S. at Keeneland. She later added the GII Bed o'Roses S. to her resume and was most recently second to Echo Zulu in the GI Ballerina, where she earned a career high 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

Goodnight Olive has since been training at Belmont Park as she prepares to defend her title at the Breeders' Cup in what is most likely her final career start.

“She's doing great,” Brown reported. “She had a tough defeat last time to a really, really good filly. She's going to have a nice break between starts and I'm hoping she goes out a winner. She's trained with such consistency. Every day she comes out and she's the same horse. She's very dependable and has taken her track with her wherever she has raced. She's really one of the best fillies I've ever trained.”

“Anybody can lose on any given day, but I'm going into this last dance with a good deal of confidence,” added Hanley. “I'm so happy we can see her on the world stage again and I hope she can pull it off. If she does, it would be an amazing way to wrap up her career.”

Win, lose or draw, Goodnight Olive will head to Kentucky immediately after her Breeders' Cup performance to sell at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale. The decision to sell Goodnight Olive was one that Hanley and his partners arrived at together, but parting with their star mare will not be easy.

“The sadness is very real and it runs very deep, but the reality is that I'm not one of the guys in the sport who can take home a talent like this,” Hanley explained. “I think this is the final chapter in book one of her life story. Now she gets to go write book two. Chapter one of that book will start at the Night of the Stars. It's with sadness that I feel like she's leaving my immediate world, but also with great anticipation and joy that I know what she's going to do.”

Hanley has been at the racetrack for nearly all of Goodnight Olive's performances, but it's the mornings spent at the barn that he will remember more than any winner's circle.

Goodnight Olive gets a third straight Grade I score in the Madison S. | Coady

“She is a love of a mare,” he said. “You can walk up and she just nuzzles into you. You look into her deep brown eyes and you know that she knows what you're feeling. There were times I was sad, angry or anxious and she would just absorb all of it. This is a very intelligent horse. I would say her mind is light-years ahead of any other horse that I've ever had.”

Hanley told the story of how his father-in-law, who is a Vietnam combat veteran, has also fallen in love with the mare.

“He doesn't show emotion toward a lot of humans but when he met her, within 10 minutes his arms were around her and she was leaning into him,” he shared. “He's been to a lot of races with me and he doesn't ask about any other horse other than Goodnight Olive. She has brought our family together and provided an amazing journey for my family and partners. To me, the sadness of selling her comes from that.”

Goodnight Olive will sell as Hip 237 on Nov. 7 with EliTE Sales. Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning said he is looking forward to showcasing a champion Fasig-Tipton graduate.

“We take a great deal of pride in seeing our sales graduates run well and she has been special,” he said. “Goodnight Olive really epitomizes everything you're looking for in a racehorse. She's got brilliance, pedigree and conformation. She certainly has speed– which is an attribute that I think you particularly look for in mares, that they have the opportunity to pass that on to their offspring. Really the sky is the limit and the opportunities are endless in terms of who you can breed her to and what you might be able to produce.”

“I think Ghostzapper is becoming such a prolific broodmare sire,” added Crow. “He's the broodmare sire of Justify and 35 other stakes winners already. She's an exceptional physical and her mom was a heck of a runner. I think she's really a collector's item.”

After the Breeders' Cup, Hanley will also be making the trip to Kentucky for the sale. He is hopeful that his farewell to Goodnight Olive there is only temporary.

“It's amazing to think that her racing career is over, but she has so many great years ahead,” he said. “I hope that wherever she goes, my kids and I can go visit her and give her love and treats. I know that she will be an amazing mom and it's a safe bet that we'll be keeping a keen eye out for her babies.”

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Upstart’s Prerequisite Wires the Wonder Again

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Prerequisite went wire-to-wire to take the rescheduled GII Wonder Again S. in just her third career start at Belmont Park Sunday. Sent off at 7-1, the bay filly rushed up to take the lead into the first turn and she was tracked by Spansive (Karakontie {Jpn}) through fractions of :23.67 and :47.94 in a strung-out field down the backstretch. She scampered away into the lane and was clear in upper stretch, but was all out to hold off the late-closing Be Your Best.

“I hustled her out of the gate to get a good position and I found myself on the lead,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “She was traveling well from there. She got really brave. Every time a horse came to her, she would dig in. It's a good sign that more distance will be fine.”

Fifth behind Spansive going one mile on debut over the Gulfstream lawn Apr. 1, Prerequisite graduated over the Wonder Again's course and nine-furlong distance May 7.

“I was really impressed with her maiden win here,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “She's turning into a really nice filly and I appreciate the partners' patience. She wasn't able to make it there at two, and they did the right thing by letting us take our time with her and she's turned into quite a nice horse.”

The top three finishers of the Wonder Again received an automatic invitation to the July 8 GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational. The 1 1/4-mile turf test is the opening leg in the Fasig-Tipton Fillies Turf Triple, a series which also includes the Aug. 4 GIII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational at Saratoga and the 11-furlong GIII Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational to be held during the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

Pedigree Notes:

Prerequisite is the fourth graded winner for Upstart.

The unraced Etsu, a full-sister to multiple stakes-winner Homeland Security, has a 2-year-old colt by Summer Front who sold for $130,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale. The mare produced a colt by Complexity last year and a colt by Upstart this year. Etsu's dam, Forever Beautiful is a half-sister to champion Farda Amiga (Broad Brush). She produced a colt by Runhappy last year and a filly by Street Boss this year.

Sunday, Belmont Park
WONDER AGAIN S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont, 6-11, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:47.20, fm.
1–PREREQUISITE, 118, f, 3, by Upstart
       1st Dam: Etsu, by Smart Strike
       2nd Dam: Forever Beautiful, by Giant's Causeway
       3rd Dam: Fly North, by Pleasant Colony
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($47,000 Ylg
'21 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-First Row Partners
and Team Hanley; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Chad C. Brown;
J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $163,000.
Werk Nick Rating: B.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Be Your Best (Ire), 122, f, 3, Muhaarar (GB)–Kamakura, by
Medaglia d'Oro. 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Michael J. Ryan;
B-St. Croix Bloodstock (Ire); T-Horacio De Paz. $40,000.
3–Revalita (Fr), 118, f, 3, Recoletos (Fr)–Ebareva (Ire), by
Machiavellian. (€12,000 Ylg '21 ARQDOY). O-Wise Racing LLC;
B-Sarl Darpat France (Fr); T-Chad C. Brown. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 7.00, 13.80, 1.40.
Also Ran: Spansive, Allamericanbeauty, Thirty Thou Kelvin, Venencia (Fr). Scratched: Juniper's Moon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Ghostzapper’s Goodnight Olive Upsets the Ballerina

In a field which included three Grade I winners, it was first-time stakes starter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) who came away with the victory–and an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint–in the GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga Sunday. Sent off at 5-1, the dark bay filly was hustled out of the gate before settling into third as Travel Column (Frosted) assumed command through a quarter in :22.09. Goodnight Olive rushed up to press the pacestter after a half in :44.50 and powered past that rival at midstretch before powering clear to the wire.

“They were going a little fast, but she was going the right way,” said winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “She was relaxed and in a good spot. I bided my time and waited. Turning for home, she was there for me. She's a nice filly, but she had never faced Grade I horses in the afternoon, but she did it today and she showed up.”

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), the 3-2 favorite, was well back in the early going and was some five wide into the stretch, but never threatened while coming home fifth.

“She's a little bit picky when it comes to the track and today it was not her favorite,” said Victor Espinoza, aboard the beaten favorite. “She bounced out of there and she wasn't doing her thing. I was just trying to encourage her to get her rhythm, but it seemed like she struggled. I tried to get her outside and hoped. I tried everything I can and hopefully she could go forward. But it's one of those things where if she doesn't like the track, she will not run. She will be OK. She will get them next time. The most important thing is that she comes out good and we'll go for the next.”

First Row Partners and Team Hanley's Goodnight Olive, a $170,000 Fasig-Tipton October purchase, returned from seven months on the sidelines to romp to an 8 1/2-length maiden score in her second career start at Keeneland last October. She scored by nine lengths at Aqueduct Nov. 21, resurfaced to win a Belmont optional claimer by 5 1/2 lengths June 23 and kept the win streak going with a 3 3/4-length victory going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 7.

“I want to thank my team and all these beautiful partners that are in the picture here,” trainer Chad Brown said from the Saratoga winner's circle Sunday afternoon. “There's been more not good phone calls about this filly than good phone calls. She hasn't run a lot. A lot of stop and go with her, not unlike her dad who I worked with, Ghostzapper. Maybe not on the track often, but very talented. She's had some soundness issues, but the team of owners always let me do the right thing, take my time with this horse and never push her beyond what she was ready to do. She finally got it all together. She's nice and sound and healthy, and I appreciate their patience.”

The Ballerina served as a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint. Of a possible Breeders' Cup start, Brown said, “I don't know if I'll run her between now and [the Breeders' Cup]. She just ran back in three weeks, that'd be the reason. We'll see how she's doing. With her, you can't take anything for granted. She's had a lot of stoppages, but now she's good. Knock on wood, she stays that way.”

Pedigree Notes:

Goodnight Olive is a daughter of 2011 GIII Dogwood S. winner Salty Strike, who died in 2019. First Row Partners purchased the winner's half-sister Katie's Keepsake (Medaglia d'Oro), in foal to Tiz the Law, for $65,000 at last year Keeneland November sale, in between Goodnight Olive's romping maiden score and follow-up allowance triumph.

Goodnight Olive is the 49th graded winner for her sire, Ghostzapper, whose daughters Guarana, Paulassilverlining, Judy the Beauty, Better Lucky, Molly Morgan and Starship Truffles have all won at the top level.

Sunday, Saratoga
BALLERINA H.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.40, ft.
1–GOODNIGHT OLIVE, 118, f, 4, by Ghostzapper
          1st Dam: Salty Strike (MGSW, $485,266), by Smart  Strike
          2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
          3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
   WIN. ($170,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-First Row Partners and
Team Hanley; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
6-5-1-0, $499,950. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
   Werk Nick Rating: B+.
   Click for free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Caramel Swirl, 119, f, 4, by Union Rags
          1st Dam: Caramel Snap, by Smart Strike
          2nd Dam: Fast Cookie, by Deputy Minister
          3rd Dam: Fleet Lady, by Avenue of Flags
   1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$100,000.
3–Obligatory, 123, f, 4, by Curlin
          1st Dam: Uno Duo (SW, $171,300), by Macho Uno
          2nd Dam: Willstar, by Nureyev
          3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (KY); T-William I. Mott. $60,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 1HF, 3 3/4. Odds: 5.80, 15.30, 2.75.
Also Ran: Travel Column, Ce Ce, Lady Rocket, Bella Sofia.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPshttp://www.equineline.com/tdn/pedigree.cfm?tk=SAR&cy=USA&rd=09/07/2015&rn=9&de=D  &ref=9104432. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

 

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