Goodnight Olive Faces Sterner Test in Derby City

Champion Goodnight Olive , fresh off a victory in the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland a month ago, will attempt to capture her eighth race in a row when she lines up in the May 6 $750,000 Derby City Distaff (G1).

Although Goodnight Olive won the Madison returning from a five-month layoff, the shorter turnaround is nothing new for the daughter of Ghostzapper  , who accomplished the feat last summer at Saratoga Race Course when she parlayed an allowance romp to a handy score in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) three weeks later.

Campaigned by First Row Partners and Team Hanley, Goodnight Olive gave her owners a mild scare when her three-length advantage dwindled to one in the final sixteenth of the Madison. However, last year's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter persevered to the wire, holding the closing Maryquitecontrary  at bay for her third consecutive grade 1 win at seven furlongs.

No worse for wear, the 5-year-old has worked twice since the Madison. She'll be guided by regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. in the Derby City Distaff.

Pounded down to 2-5 odds when facing fairly softer opposition in the Madison, Goodnight Olive should receive a sterner test in Saturday's race from formidable fillies Matareya  and Wicked Halo , the 1-2 finishers in the March 31 Matron Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

In a muddy rendition of the Matron, Wicked Halo, making her first start since a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), rallied to edge Matayera under the wire.

"For her to come back and beat a filly the quality of Matareya in such competitive fashion is very exciting," trainer Steve Asmussen said of Wicked Halo. Asmussen indicated that like Goodnight Olive's connections, the plan is to return to the Breeders' Cup in the fall.

Wicked Halo is 2-for-4 over the Churchill Downs oval, having won the Tepin and Leslie's Lady Overnight Stakes over the track here last summer for Winchell Thoroughbreds.

Tyler Gaffalione, who has ridden the Gun Runner   filly in her last six starts, has the mount.

Godolphin homebred Matareya, a winner of the Acorn Stakes (G1) last year at Belmont Park, was returning from an even longer layoff in the Matron. The 4-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile had been benched since August when falling three-quarters of a length short of Wicked Halo. Trained by Brad Cox, the speedy filly returns to the site of her Eight Belles (G2) romp on Saturday, and could get the jump on the favorite with her forward-running style turning for home. 

Flavien Prat will be back aboard Matareya.

Stakes winner Hot and Sultry —possibly a challenger for the early lead, 2021 Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Travel Column , and My Destiny  complete the field of six.

The seven-furlong Derby City Distaff is the first race of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Dozen series, in which the first three finishers will earn credits towards entry fees for a potential start in this fall's $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).