Breeders’ Cup: Goodnight Olive wins Filly & Mare Sprint

Lexington, Ky.

After stalking the early half of the race, Goodnight Olive (9-5) moved strongly into the stretch and found the lead in the last quarter-mile on the way to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, the first of Saturday’s nine Breeders’ Cup races at Keeneland.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Chad Brown, the 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly owned by First Row Partners and Team Hanley won for the second time in a row in a Grade 1 race. Goodnight Olive was coming off a more than two-month break since her triumph in the Ballerina Handicap (G1) at Saratoga.

The 2021 Juvenile Fillies winner Echo Zulu (7-2) stayed on to finish second, a length ahead of Wicked Halo (14-1), who won only two weeks ago over the same seven-furlong course in the Raven Run (G2). Both Echo Zulu and Wicked Halo are trained by Steve Asmussen.

The 6-year-old mare Ce Ce, the 2021 winner of this race at Del Mar, finished another 1 1/2 lengths behind in fourth. It was the final race for the 2021 female sprint champion before becoming a broodmare.

Goodnight Olive’s winning time was 1:21.61 after early fractions of 22.10, 44.89 and 1:08.92 on the firm turf course. It was the 16th Breeders’ Cup win for Brown and the 16th for Ortiz, who also scored in Friday’s Juvenile aboard Forte.

“What a wonderful trip," Brown said after the race. "Once again Irad (Ortiz Jr.) showed everyone his immense skill. He got a good position early and was patient. Looked like it got a little tight right before the final turn, but he waited until the right time to get her in the clear.

“She symbolizes everything that’s good in horse racing. Being patient, always putting the horse first, bringing together a lot of different people that some didn’t even know each other before they went in on this horse together and large ownership group that is worthy of this win with their patience. A lot memories made today."

Bought three years ago for $170,000, Goodnight Olive’s record improved to 7: 6-1-0. Her only loss was in her debut in March 2021 at Gulfstream Park. Since breaking her maiden at Keeneland on her second try, she won three allowance races before her graded-stakes breakthrough at Saratoga.