Echo Zulu Set to Shine in $500,000 Ballerina Handicap Clash against Reigning Champ Goodnight Olive
Echo Zulu, first or second in all but one of her 10 lifetime starts, looks to burnish her perfect 2023 resume as she takes on reigning female sprint champion Goodnight Olive and six others in a stellar edition of the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
The Ballerina is a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup in November at Santa Anita, with the winner guaranteed a starting spot in the Filly & Mare Sprint.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Echo Zulu enters off a 7 ¼-length score in the Honorable Miss (G2) last month at the upstate New York track, bringing her record at the Spa to 3-for-3. As a 2-year-old at the Spa, the Gun Runner filly broke her maiden and triumphed in the Spinaway (G1) on the way to earning the Eclipse as champion 2-year-old filly.
Echo Zulu – Photo Credit Coglianese Photo
“Absolutely brilliant,” said Asmussen of the 4-year-old bay filly, who registered a 111 Equibase speed figure in the Honorable Miss (G2).
The 7-furlong Ballerina will be the first meeting between Echo Zulu and Goodnight Olive since the latter posted a decisive 2 ½-length score in last year’s Filly & Mare Sprint in the midst of a seven-race winning streak.
Exciting Clash Expected in $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1) as Top Contenders Prepare for Intense Showdown
That streak, which began in October 2021 and included a rousing win in last year’s Ballerina — her stakes debut — came to an abrupt end in May at Churchill Downs, when she was caught in traffic and finished third as the odds-on favorite to Matareya in the Derby City Distaff (G1).
The 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare rebounded a month later with a gritty neck victory over Wicked Halo in the Bed o’ Roses at Belmont Park, and trainer Chad Brown is expecting another top performance.
“It’s a very strong division,” said Brown. “Echo Zulu will be a tough horse to tackle. But our horse is fresh, and she is doing well at the moment. I’m optimistic she’ll run well.”
Joining the fray is the Brad Cox-trained Matareya, who in addition to the Derby City Distaff owns a win in the Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park. Last year at Saratoga she was third in the Test (G1).
The Ballerina is one of five Grade 1 races Saturday on Travers Day. Post time for the race is 4:55 p.m. ET.
The picks: 1 Matareya 2 Goodnight Olive 3 Echo Zulu
The field for the $500,000 Ballerina Handicap (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1. Sterling Silver (Javier Castellano, Tom Albertrani), 30-1
2. Matareya (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox), 6-1
3. Maryquitecontrary (Luca Panici, Shug McGaughey), 15-1
4. Dr B (Luis Saez, Robert Reid, Jr.), 15-1
5. Wicked Halo (Florent Geroux, Steve Asmussen), 8-1
6. Echo Zulu (Florent Geroux), Steve Asmussen), 7-5
7. Goodnight Olive (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Chad Brown), 9-5
8. Caramel Swirl (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 10-1
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