Goodnight Olive

American racehorse

Goodnight Olive

Goodnight Olive right before the 2023 Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint

Sire| Ghostzapper
Grandsire| Awesome Again
Dam| Salty Strike
Damsire| Smart Strike
Sex| Mare
Foaled| April 30, 2018[1]
Country| United States
Colour| Dark Bay or Brown
Breeder| Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
Owner| First Row Partners & Team Hanley (2019 - 2023)
Resolute Bloodstock (2023 - )
Trainer| Chad C. Brown
Record| 12: 9–2–1
Earnings| $2,196,200[2]
Major wins
Ballerina Handicap (2022)
Madison Stakes (2023)
Bed O' Roses Stakes (2023)
Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (2022, 2023)
Awards
American Champion Female Sprint Horse (2022, 2023)
Last updated on 1 February 2024

Goodnight Olive (foaled April 30, 2018) is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won consecutive runnings of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in 2022 and 2023. She was named the 2022 and 2023 US Champion Female Sprint Horse.[2]

## Background

[edit]

Goodnight Olive is a dark bay or brown mare who was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and Clearsky Farms and was a $170,000 purchase at the 2019 October Keeneland sale by Steve Laymon's First Row Partners.[3] Goodnight Olive is by 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper. She is the third foal out of the Smart Strike mare Salty Strike, who won the Grade II Dogwood Stakes in 2011 and the Grade III Gardenia Stakes in 2012 along with numerous other listed and black-type stakes races.[4][5]

Goodnight Olive is trained by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

## Racing career

[edit]

### 2021: three-year-old season

[edit]

Goodnight Olive broke her maiden at Keeneland in her second career start off of a layoff of seven months. She then handily defeated allowance company at Aqueduct Racetrack in her final start of the year.

### 2022: four-year-old season

[edit]

In 2022 Goodnight Olive was undefeated in four starts. Coming off of a layoff of seven months, she won allowance/optional claiming sprints at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course before being entered into the Grade I Ballerina Stakes, which she won by 2+3⁄4 lengths at odds of 5-1 under the lowest weight of 118 pounds.[6] She was then rested up until the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, which she won en route to honors as American Champion Female Sprinter.

### 2023: five-year-old season

[edit]

In 2023 Goodnight Olive resumed her career with an impressive win in the Grade I Madison Stakes at Keeneland, her seventh career win and third straight Grade I victory.[7] Staying at the 7-furlong distance, she placed in the Derby City Distaff Stakes at Churchill Downs, won the Bed O' Roses Stakes at Belmont, and finished second in the Ballerina Stakes behind Echo Zulu.

Goodnight Olive successfully defended her title in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita Park as the favorite, winning by 2+3⁄4 lengths in what was thought to be her final career start.[8]

Three days after her repeat win at the Breeders' Cup, Goodnight Olive went to the auction ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale as a broodmare and racing prospect. She was sold for $6 million, with the winning ticket signed by Gavin O'Connor for Resolute Bloodstock owner John Stewart. Stewart said after the purchase that he intended to keep Goodnight Olive in training for a 2024 campaign. He added that he knew there was foreign interest in the horse, and there was no price to keeping her in the United States.[9]

After a successful campaign in 2023 Goodnight Olive was awarded an Eclipse Award as the U.S. Champion Female Sprint Horse for the second time.[10]

## Retirement

[edit]

Following the 2023 Breeders' Cup, Goodnight Olive returned to Chad Brown's barn at Payson Park in preparation for a 2024 campaign. However, on February 6, 2024, Resolute Farm announced in a press release that Goodnight Olive had been retired from racing and would be bred to Not This Time, the sire of 2022 champion 3-year-old Epicenter. Gavin O'Connor said that while they had hoped to continue her racing career, "unless Chad and his team thought she could continue to compete at (the highest) level, we always knew this was a likely path for her. She really doesn’t have anything else to prove."[11][12]

## Statistics

[edit]

Date  | Distance  | Race  | Grade  | Track  | Odds  | Field  | Finish  | Winning Time  | Winning
(Losing)
Margin  | Jockey  | Ref

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2021 – Three-year-old season
Mar 7, 2021 |  6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight  |  | Gulfstream Park | 2.20  | 11  | 2  | 1:10.51  |  (1+3⁄4 lengths)  | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [13]
Oct 21, 2021 |  6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight  |  | Keeneland | 0.40  | 10  | 1  | 1:09.85  | 8+1⁄2 lengths | Tyler Gaffalione | [14]
Nov 21, 2021 |  7 furlongs | Allowance  |  | Aqueduct | 0.30*  | 9  | 1  | 1:24.48  |  9 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [15]
2022 – Four-year-old season
Jun 23, 2022 |  7 furlongs | Allowance Optional Claiming  |  | Belmont Park | 0.20*  | 6  | 1  | 1:23.52  | 5+1⁄2 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [16]
Aug 7, 2022 |  6+1⁄2 furlongs  | Allowance Optional Claiming  |  | Saratoga | 0.35*  | 6  | 1  | 1:17.24  | 3+3⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [17]
Aug 28, 2022 |  7 furlongs | Ballerina Handicap | I  | Saratoga | 5.80  | 7  | 1  | 1:21.40  | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [18]
Nov 5, 2022 |  7 furlongs | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | I  | Keeneland | 1.85*  | 12  | 1  | 1:21.61  | 2+1⁄2 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [19]
2023 – Five-year-old season
Apr 8, 2023 |  7 furlongs | Madison Stakes | I  | Keeneland | 0.37*  | 5  | 1  | 1:23.12  |  1 length | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [20]
May 6, 2023 |  7 furlongs | Derby City Distaff Stakes | I  | Churchill Downs | 0.57*  | 6  | 3  | 1:21.87  |  (2 lengths)  | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [21]
Jun 17, 2023 |  7 furlongs | Bed O' Roses Stakes | II  | Belmont Park | 0.30*  | 5  | 1  | 1:22.39  |  neck  | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [22]
Aug 26, 2023 |  7 furlongs | Ballerina Handicap | I  | Saratoga | 2.20  | 7  | 2  | 1:20.95  | (2+1⁄2 lengths)  | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [23]
Nov 4, 2023 |  7 furlongs | Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint | I  | Santa Anita | 1.10*  | 9  | 1  | 1:22.97  | 2+3⁄4 lengths | Irad Ortiz Jr. | [24]

Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Goodnight Olive was the post-time favourite.

## Pedigree

[edit]

Pedigree of Goodnight Olive, mare, April 30, 2018[1] Sire
Ghostzapper
(2000)  | Awesome Again
(1994)  | Deputy Minister (CAN)
(1979)  | Vice Regent (CAN) (1967)

|
|
|

Mint Copy (CAN) (1970)
Primal Force
(1987)  | Blushing Groom (FR) (1974)
Prime Prospect (1978)
Baby Zip
(1990)  | Relaunch
(1976)  | In Reality (1964)
Foggy Note (1965)
Thirty Zip
(1983)  | Tri Jet (1969)
Saliaway (1976)
Dam
Salty Strike
(2012)  | Smart Strike
(1992)  | Mr. Prospector
(1970)  | Raise a Native (CAN) (1961)
Gold Digger (1962)
Classy 'n Smart (CAN)
(1981)  | Smarten (1976)
No Class (CAN) (1974)
Lake Huron
(1995)  | Salt Lake
(1989)  | Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979)
Take Lady Anne (1979)
My Rainbow
(1987)  | Lyphard (1969)
Muriesk (1979) (family 2d)[25]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Pedigree of Goodnight Olive". Equineline. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
2. ^ a b "Profile of Goodnight Olive". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
3. ^ McCroskey, Corrie (November 5, 2022). "Goodnight Olive Overpowers Foes in Filly & Mare Sprint; The 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly won the Ballerina (G1) in the summer at Saratoga". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
4. ^ "Salty Strike - Horse Profile". equibase.com. 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
5. ^ McCroskey, Corrie (January 26, 2023). "Goodnight Olive Lights Out as Champion Female Sprinter; The 5-year-old mare finished her 2022 season with an overall record of 7-6-1-0". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
6. ^ Ehalt, Bob (28 August 2022). "Goodnight Olive Nabs First Grade 1 Score in Ballerina". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
7. ^ Rollins, Molly (8 April 2023). "Champion Goodnight Olive Victorious in Madison Return; Maryquitecontrary finished second and Society third". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
8. ^ Perez, Joe (4 November 2023). "Goodnight Olive Repeats in BC Filly & Mare Sprint". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
9. ^ Nevills, Joe (7 November 2023). "Breeders' Cup Winner Goodnight Olive Sells To Stewart For $6 Million At Fasig-Tipton, Will Remain In Training". Paulick Report. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
10. ^ Gash, Lauren (25 January 2024). "Encore Eclipse for Female Sprinter Goodnight Olive: The Ghostzapper mare returns to the Eclipse podium for a second year". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
11. ^ Resolute Farm (6 February 2024). "Two Time Breeder Cup Champ Goodnight Olive to Retire with Plans to Breed to Not This Time" (Press release). MIDWAY, Ky.: PRNewswire. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
12. ^ Russo, Nicole (7 February 2024). "Goodnight Olive retired, will be bred to Not This Time". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
13. ^ "Chart for Maiden Special Weight March 7, 2021 at Gulfstream Park – Race 11". Equibase. March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
14. ^ "Chart for Maiden Special Weight October 22, 2021 at Keeneland – Race 7". Equibase. October 22, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
15. ^ "Chart of Allowance November 21, 2022 Aqueduct (race 5)". November 21, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
16. ^ "Chart of Allowance Optional Claiming June 23, 2022 Belmont Park (race 7)". Jun 23, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
17. ^ "Chart of Allowance Optional Claiming August 7, 2022 Saratoga (race 3)". August 7, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
18. ^ "Ballerina Handicap Grade 1 – (Race 9)". Equibase. August 28, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
19. ^ "Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Grade 1 – (Race 3)". Equibase. November 5, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
20. ^ "Madison Stakes Grade 1 – (Race 7)". Equibase. April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
21. ^ "Derby City Distaff S. presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery Grade 1 – (Race 7)". Equibase. May 6, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
22. ^ "Bed O' Roses Grade 2 – (Race 7)". Equibase. June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
23. ^ "Ballerina Handicap Grade 1 – (race 10)". Equibase. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
24. ^ "PNC Bank Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Grade 1 – (Race 5)". Equibase. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
25. ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Emma (GB) – Family 2-d". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved April 10, 2023.