Olympiad

Olympiad broke his maiden in his second career start at Saratoga on Sept. 5, 2020. He rated off the pace and drew away to win by 2 3/4 lengths, covering seven furlongs in 1:22.78 under Junior Alvarado.

Following that performance, Olympiad went to the sidelines, and did not return to the races for almost a year. He made his comeback in a first-level allowance race at Saratoga on Sept. 4, 2021. He finished second, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. He bounced back with a win in a first-level allowance at Keeneland on Oct. 14.

Olympiad made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct on Dec. 4. He finished fourth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, but bounced back with an impressive victory in a second-level allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 15, 2022. He added a graded stakes win to his credentials on Feb. 19, when he won the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds by 2 1/4 lengths. He rated off the pace and wore down Silver Prospector late for the win. His time for 1 1/16 miles of 1:42.01 set a new track record.

Olympiad turned in another impressive performance in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds on Mar. 26. Once again, he rated right off the pace in the early stages. He took control entering the stretch and drew off to win by two lengths. He ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.74, missing the track record by a tenth of a second.

Olympiad went for his fourth consecutive win of 2022 in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet on the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks undercard at Churchill Downs. Sent off as the 9-10 favorite, he stalked the pace through the second turn and moved out for a closing run at the top of the stretch, joined by Grade 1 winner Happy Saver to his outside. That rival took a small lead as the duel commenced, and crowded Olympiad closer to the rail, but Olympiad responded gamely and put Happy Saver away in the final sixteenth, winning by 2 ½ lengths.

After almost two months off, Olympiad returned to the races in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill on July 2. He rated off early leader Caddo River, then moved to the front at the top of the stretch and pulled clear. He crossed the wire 2 1/4 lengths in front while running 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.66. That time narrowly missed Victory Gallop's track record mark of 1:47.28. With that win, Olympiad earned a spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5.

Olympiad’s perfect 2022 came to an abrupt end when he failed to fire in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, finishing fourth of five.

Thankfully for Olympiad, redemption was just around the corner. He returned late in the Saratoga meet to win the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 3. Racing as the 8-5 favorite in a field of eight, Olympiad sat a length or two off the pace much of the way and struck the front just before the top of the stretch. He cruised home to victory for a two-length decision in a time of 2:02.11. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was a Breeders' Cup "win and you're in" race for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, which Olympiad had already qualified for with his victory earlier in the summer in the Stephen Foster.

Olympiad did not start again until the Nov. 5 Longines Classic, where he was sent off as a longshot in an eight-horse field behind unbeaten odds-on favorite Flightline. He settled near the back of the field for most of the race and picked off tired opponents in the stretch to finish second by 8 ¼ lengths.

A son of Speightstown, Olympiad was bred by Emory Hamilton and sold for $700,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2019. He is owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable and LNJ Foxwoods and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.