I Am Dirty could follow the Group 1 trail blazed so successfully by stablemates Overpass and Green Spaces after her impressive win in The Coast Raceday 2yo Handicap (1200m) at Gosford on Saturday.
Trainer Bjorn Baker is a firm believer in I Am Dirty’s emerging potential although he is unsure if he will test her ability at stakes level this season.
“We will have a bit of a think about what we do next with her,” Baker told Sky Thoroughbred Central’s Greg Radley. “Maybe we go one more or possibly put her out.
“I’ve always had a really good opinion of her and it is important to win these Saturday two-year-old races.
“I’m confident she will go on to better things, it is just a matter of when.
“This has been a great form race, particularly for my stable, and we are lucky to have a very, very nice filly in I Am Dirty.”
Baker pointed out that his stable’s sprint star Overpass won the same two-year-old at the inaugural Gosford stand-alone meeting in 2021.
Overpass has trained on to win 10 of his 36 starts including two at Group 1 level, two The Quokkas and has earned more than $12.5 million prizemoney.
Baker is now readying Overpass for the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m) at England’s prestigious Royal Ascot carnival next month.
Baker didn’t train Godolphin’s Green Spaces when he ran at Gosford last year, finishing unplaced behind Hidden Achievement.
But since joining the Baker stable at the start of this season, Green Spaces has developed into arguably the best staying three-year-old of his generation this season, providing Baker with a Group 1 ATC Australian Derby triumph last month.
Just how much I Am Dirty can achieve during her racing career only time will tell but the superbly-bred filly – she’s by super sire I Am Invincible and is the first foal out of Group 3 winner Dirty Thoughts – and she created a favourable impression at Gosford.
I Am Dirty was having only her second start and was heavily backed into $2.60 equal favouritism before scoring a dominant win under Rachel King by two lengths from Quarterback ($13) with Parisest Magic ($71) finishing fast for a close third.
King said I Am Dirty, a $600,000 Magic Millions yearling purchase, had made considerable improvement from her unplaced debut run behind another talented filly, Bangkok Hottie, at Randwick last month.
“She was a little bit more on the ball today, she jumped ‘clean’ and put herself up on speed,” King said.
“They had a big opinion of her before that first-up run but it didn’t quite come off so hopefully this has repaid them today.
“She’s pretty tractable and when I got to ‘park’ outside the lead, she relaxed beautifully and won well.”
I Am Dirty’s win served a dual purpose for Baker.
“I’ve got some very important owners in this filly including none other than (wife) Mrs Andrea Baker,” the trainer said.
“This is her Mother’s Day gift because I haven’t got anything else organised!”
