Last year's champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), a luckless third as the heavy favorite in the GI Derby City Distaff S. May 6, stayed out of trouble this time and was along in time for a narrow success in Saturday's GII Bed O' Roses S. at Belmont Park.
Drawn on the fence, the 1-4 chalk broke on top and dropped back to caboose the tightly bunched field of five beneath the hot-handed Irad Ortiz, Jr. through an opening quarter in :22.90. Traveling nicely approaching the quarter pole, Goodnight Olive was tipped out and into the clear while four wide off the turn for home and rallied down the center to outbox Wicked Halo (Gun Runner) by a hard-fought neck.
Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner and GI Ballerina H. heroine kicked off her 5-year-old campaign with a win in Keeneland's GI Madison S. Goodnight Olive never got a chance to run and was defeated by two lengths in her aforementioned attempt on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard.
“I was really proud of her,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “She made multiple moves in the race. I thought each time Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] moved with her and used her, it was with good judgement. He gave her a great ride like he has every time he's ridden her.”
Brown added that Goodnight Olive could potentially stretch out to two turns for the GIII Molly Pitcher S. at Monmouth Park July 22.
Pedigree Notes:
Goodnight Olive, one of 14 top-level winners for Ghostzapper, brought $170,000 as a FTKOCT yearling. Goodnight Olive is one of two winners from three to the races out of dual Grade III winner Salty Strike, who was acquired by the Stonestreet team for $800,000 at the Keeneland January Sale in 2013. A half-sister to the stakes-winning Salty Response (Cozzene) and to the stakes-placed dam of MSP Mohawk Trail (Pioneerof the Nile), Salty Strike is also the dam of the unraced Katie's Keepsake (Medaglia d'Oro), who was sold for $250,000 in foal to Ghostzapper at this year's Keeneland January Sale.
Saturday, Belmont Park
BED O' ROSES S.-GII, $194,000, Belmont, 6-17, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:22.39, ft.
1–GOODNIGHT OLIVE, 124, m, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Salty Strike (MGSW, $485,266), by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Lake Huron, by Salt Lake
3rd Dam: My Rainbow, by Lyphard
($170,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-First Row Partners and Team Hanley; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $110,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Female sprinter, MGISW, 10-8-1-1, $1,576,200. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wicked Halo, 124, f, 4, Gun Runner–Just Wicked, by Tapit. O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $40,000.
3–Caramel Swirl, 124, m, 5, Union Rags–Caramel Snap, by Smart Strike. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-William I. Mott. $24,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 12HF. Odds: 0.30, 5.20, 6.00.
Also Ran: Dr B, Beguine.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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