SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A matchup of two Eclipse Award winners with nearly identical records is in the offing in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina Handicap for female sprinters at Saratoga. Echo Zulu, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2021, and Goodnight Olive, the champion female sprinter of 2022, top an eight-horse field in the Ballerina, a seven-furlong race that awards the winner a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita. Echo Zulu is a dynamic speed horse, who has eight wins from 10 starts with Grade 1 victories in the Spinaway here at 2, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and a monster 7 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss here July 26. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. The 112 Beyer Speed Figure she earned for her Honorable Miss win equaled the highest figure earned by any horse this year. Cody’s Wish earned a 112 for winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap before finishing third in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes here Aug. 5. “The only other 112 Beyer of the year did not respond with a step forward, that’s quite possibly something,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Echo Zulu for Winchell Thoroughbreds. “With that being said, nothing’s more fun than getting to run a champion.” And a fast one at that. Echo Zulu’s speed makes her dangerous as she isn’t one you want to tangle with early, but also don’t want to leave her alone on the lead. Echo Zulu is 2 for 3 at seven furlongs, her only loss at that distance coming to Goodnight Olive in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. “I love her at seven-eighths,” Asmussen said. “Her Spinaway win here two years ago might be fast enough.” Asked how Echo Zulu came out of the Honorable Miss, Asmussen said “she’s a ball of fire.” Goodnight Olive, trained by Chad Brown, is 8 for 10. After finishing third with a troubled trip in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs, she rebounded with a neck victory over Wicked Halo in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses on June 17 at Belmont. After briefly flirting with the idea of stretching Goodnight Olive out in distance, the decision was made to keep her sprinting and aim toward this spot. “My horse is training super, I’ve been extremely pleased with every breeze since she’s been here,” Brown said. “I’m optimistic she’s going to give us her best race as she always does.” Brown said he has ample respect for Echo Zulu. “It’s shaping up to be a hell of a horse race between the two,” Brown said. “She’s just a very talented horse, and Goodnight Olive is going to have to bring her best race no doubt.” Goodnight Olive will break from post 7 under Irad Ortiz Jr., one spot outside of Echo Zulu who will be ridden by Florent Geroux. Asmussen also may run Wicked Halo, who is cross-entered in Friday night’s Pink Ribbon at Charles Town. Asmussen said the allure of running Wicked Halo at Saratoga is the fact she’s never won a Grade 1 “and she’s doing fabulous,” he said. Caramel Swirl finished second to Goodnight Olive in the Ballerina last year. After winning the Grade 3 Vagrancy at Belmont in May, she finished third behind Goodnight Olive and Wicked Halo in the Bed o’ Roses, beaten just one length. Caramel Swirl had a very good workout here Aug. 19, shading 23 seconds for her final quarter. She is well drawn on the outside in this eight-horse field. Bill Mott, trainer of Caramel Swirl, said he passed the Honorable Miss with his 5-year-old mare because his filly doesn’t excel at six furlongs. “Against those good fillies, she has a little more time to get there,” Mott said. “They tend to outfoot her a little bit early.” Matareya won the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff before finishing third in the Grade 3 Chicago Stakes at Ellis Park. Dr B was second to Echo Zulu in the Honorable Miss. Maryquitecontrary was second to Goodnight Olive in the Grade 1 Madison before finishing last of four in the Honorable Miss. Sterling Silver comes off a second-level allowance win here July 29. The Ballerina goes as race 10 on the 13-race card. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.