Goodnight Olive

Goodnight Olive won her second career start by 8 ½ lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 22, 2021 at the age of 3 following a runner-up finish in her career debut at Gulfstream Park in March 2021.

Goodnight Olive then reeled off three straight allowance or allowance-optional claiming wins between November of 2021 and August of 2022 at three different racetracks – Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga Race Course – by margins ranging from 3 ¾ lengths to nine lengths.

Coming off that dominant stretch, the dark bay or brown filly got her first major class test in the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 28, 2022. Goodnight Olive made her stakes debut a memorable one by powering to a 2 ¾-length victory. The Ballerina is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, so Goodnight Olive earned a “Win and You’re In” expenses-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint Nov. 5 at Keeneland via her victory.

Riding high on a five-race winning streak, Goodnight Olive entered the Grade 1 $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 12 at Keeneland. Goodnight Olive raced in the back-half of the field and began to move through and between horses into contention on the turn until turning on the jets in the stretch and bursting clear to a 2 1/2-length victory over Echo Zulu back in second. Goodnight Olive completed the seven furlongs in a winning time of 1:21.61 under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Goodnight Olive returned from a five-month layoff in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes April 8 at Keeneland, where she raced just off the early pace and seized command entering the stretch in a comfortable victory under Ortiz. She followed with a third-place finish behind Matareya and Wicked Halo in the Derby City Distaff Stakes presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery on the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve undercard. The loss halted a seven-race winning streak.

Shaking off her rare loss at Churchill Downs, Goodnight Olive rebounded in her next start which came in the Grade 2 $200,000 Bed O' Roses Stakes at Belmont Park on June 17. Sent off as the 1-5 favorite in a five-horse field in the Bed O' Roses, Goodnight Olive came from behind and outbattled the competition in the stretch to prevail by a neck in a winning seven-furlong time of 1:22.39.

Goodnight Olive went out a winner in her final career race, capping off a stellar career by winning the 2023 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 to become the second repeat back-to-back winner in the history of the race. Sent off as a heavy favorite from the rail atop a nine-horse field in the Filly & Mare Sprint, Goodnight Olive stalked the pace close-up and made her move at the top of the stretch to take control, drawing off to a 2 3/4-length victory under Irad Ortiz.

Goodnight Olive finished her career with 9 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third from 12 career starts including four Grade 1 wins. She earned a second consecutive Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter.

Goodnight Olive is trained by Chad Brown. She was bred in Kentucky by the sire Ghostzapper out of the mare Salty Strike by Smart Strike.