First Row Partners and Team Hanley’s Kentucky-bred Goodnight Olive cruised past Society at the top of the stretch and drew off through the lane to notch a 2 ¾-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) on Saturday, Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park. With the win, Goodnight Olive joins Kentucky-bred Groupie Doll (2012-2013) as the only repeat winner of the race.

In the Distaff, Society and Eda battled for early supremacy. Goodnight Olive closed in on the top pair around the turn, took command in the lane, and never looked back. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Goodnight Olive completed the seven furlongs in 1:22.97 for trainer Chad Brown, who picked up his third win in the race and 18th Breeders’ Cup win overall.

“It’s very satisfying,” Chad Brown shared. “She trained perfect her last two works. Really beautifully. When she broke good and got behind Society, which I was really happy to see because we knew she was the second choice in the race and really fit on paper. If we could find her, she was going to take us at least to the quarter-pole. And I said to Irad (Ortiz Jr.), it’s likely that other horses will be tired around you at that point, and when she got outside of her, she was able to put the race to bed. Rarely does ‘Plan A’ go into effect and actually finish all the way through. That was our plan and Irad executed it perfectly.”

Irad Ortiz said, “Beautiful trip. She was there for me every time I asked. She gives me confidence. I knew I was on the best horse. She did it again.”

Goodnight Olive is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Ghostzapper out of the Smart Strike mare Salty Strike. With the win, Goodnight Olive swelled her bankroll to $2,196,200. Her record of 12-9-2-1 includes four Grade 1 victories.