Goodnight Olive rallies, edges Wicked Halo in Bed O' Roses
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ELMONT, N.Y. - Coming to the quarter pole of Saturday’s Grade 2 Bed O’ Roses Stakes at Belmont Park, Irad Ortiz Jr. had a decision to make aboard the heavy favorite Goodnight Olive.
Try to find room along the inside, or give up ground and go outside? Six weeks ago, Ortiz was stuck on the inside aboard Goodnight Olive, could never get out, and had to settle for third in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff.
Ortiz wasn’t going to have that happen again. So, Ortiz guided Goodnight Olive into the four-path turning for home and, with a strong late rally, Goodnight Olive was able to get up over Wicked Halo by a neck to win the $200,000 Bed o’ Roses.
Wicked Halo, who looked like she might be third inside the eighth pole, wrested second back by three-quarters of a length over Caramel Swirl. It was 12 1/2 lengths back to Dr B in fourth. Beguine, in front for the opening half-mile, faded to fifth.
The win was the eighth from 10 career starts for Goodnight Olive, last year’s champion female sprinter. It was also the fifth on the card for Ortiz and third for trainer Chad Brown.
Brown said the timing of Ortiz’s decision to go wide was crucial.
“He had a tricky decision at the three-eighths pole to ease her back around Caramel Swirl and the tiring [Dr B] or bide his time and go inside [Dr B] and then outside Caramel Swirl,” Brown said. “That made the difference of him winning by a [neck]. I think had he taken back and circled them I’m quite sure it would have been a little too much for her to get there in time.”
Ortiz said it was hard for him to take a hold of Goodnight Olive at the five-sixteenths and let the others get the jump on him. He noted that Junior Alvarado on Caramel Swirl still had plenty of horse at that point of the race.
“I know Junior was going the right way and if I tried to go inside they’re going to get me,” Ortiz said. “I have to take a hold and wait and go around and she rebroke. She deserves all the credit.”
Goodnight Olive, a 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Front Row Partners and Team Hanley, covered the seven furlongs in 1:22.29 and returned $2.60 as the heavy favorite.
The connections of Goodnight Olive have mentioned trying to stretch her out in distance and Brown said the Grade 3, $500,000 Molly Pitcher going 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park on July 22 might be considered.
Meanwhile, Wicked Halo, under Jose Ortiz, sat just off Beguine early in the Bed O’ Roses. Ortiz said he waited as long as he could to make his move, but when Alvarado moved on Caramel Swirl, he did likewise on Wicked Halo.
“She looked like she was beaten for second and then came back and only got beat a head or a little more for the win,” Jose Ortiz said. “The filly that won is very nice, I’m just happy my filly ran very good.”
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