Zipse: Met Mile makes plenty of sense for Goodnight Olive

The champ is back and looking good. Showing no signs of rust after five months since her last race, Goodnight Olive performed up to high expectations in winning the $600,000 Madison (G1) Saturday at Keeneland.

In raising her winning streak to seven races, the return performance has me wondering whether it soon will be time for the Eclipse Award winner to step out of her comfort zone of female sprints.

A race such as the Met Mile (G1) in early June, at one turn at Belmont Park, would seem like an excellent opportunity for the excellent mare to do something special in 2023.

By saying that, I realize that I will attract the ire of many who insist that female horses should not run against males. To all of you who feel that way, I will point to exactly one race later on the Keeneland card, where Caravel beat the boys again in Saturday’s Shakertown (G2).

It can be argued that the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, also known as the Met Mile, is in a whole different realm than the Shakertown, and of course, I would not argue. But the fact remains that when really good females are given the opportunity to run in big races against males, they often respond with a big effort.

Last fall, both Caravel in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and War Like Goddess in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) became winning examples. Albeit both came on turf.

The Met Mile would be anything but an easy ask of Goodnight Olive. It is one of America’s premier races, and the thought of a filly or mare winning it seems a bit out there. But I am old enough to remember a couple of mares who did attempt it and fared pretty well.

Lady’s Secret in 1986 and Honest Lady in 2000 ran well in the big race, finishing third and second, respectively.

It remains to be seen whether Goodnight Olive can do as well, or better, but I’m starting to believe that she deserves a shot.

The champion female sprinter of 2022 showed everything you want to see in a return race Saturday under rider Irad Ortiz Jr. She broke sharply, deftly moved off the rail when asked, accelerated like a shot and then had plenty down the stretch to win.

The final margin was only one length, but I thought it was a very impressive performance. The late-running Maryquitecontrary, who also came in with a big winning streak and had the advantage of recency over Goodnight Olive, ran a strong race to be a clear runner-up.

In beating a small but classy field Saturday, Goodnight Olive covered the seven furlongs of the Madison in 1:23.12 for trainer Chad Brown over a Keeneland main track that wasn’t exactly producing quick times. From here, I only expect her to get better.

The daughter of Ghostzapper, who was the 2005 winner of the Met Mile, still is rather lightly raced. Owned by First Row Partners and Team Hanley, she did not make her career debut until March of her 3-year-old season, when she was a solid second.

Goodnight Olive didn’t race again until more than seven months later, and she has been perfect ever since.

An easy and impressive winner of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint last fall, Goodnight Olive has now won seven straight races. The Madison was her closest margin of victory in the bunch and her third straight Grade 1 win. The 5-year-old has amassed $1,391,950 in career earnings.

The impressive stats don’t lie. She is the best female sprinter in the land. Her dominance begs the question of what more is left to prove in her own division?

Perhaps her connections will be content with a season much like last year, and that’s fine if they do. But what if they shoot for more with their champion?

Personally, I would love to see her take on males in two months at Belmont Park. I really believe Goodnight Olive would have a shot to run a big race in this year’s Met Mile.