I Am Dirty has the chance to chase the Group 1 path that stablemates Overpass and Green Spaces have carved out with such success following her commanding victory in The Coast Raceday 2yo Handicap (1200m) at Gosford on Saturday.
Trainer Bjorn Baker holds strong faith in the rising talent of I Am Dirty, though he remains uncertain about challenging her at stakes grade during the current campaign.
"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 noted that his stable’s speedster Overpass took out the identical two-year-old event during the first Gosford standalone meeting back in 2021.
Overpass has progressed to secure 10 victories from 36 outings, featuring two Group 1 successes, two The Quokkas, and over $12.5 million in earnings.
Baker is preparing Overpass for the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m) at England’s renowned Royal Ascot meeting next month.
Baker was not handling Godolphin’s Green Spaces when the horse competed at Gosford last year, where he ended up unplaced trailing Hidden Achievement.
However, since entering the Baker stable this season, Green Spaces has emerged as perhaps the top staying three-year-old of his cohort, delivering Baker a Group 1 ATC Australian Derby success last month.
The extent of I Am Dirty’s accomplishments in her racing journey remains to be seen, but this superbly bred filly – out of super sire I Am Invincible and the first foal from Group 3 winner Dirty Thoughts – left a strong mark at Gosford.
I Am Dirty was on her second appearance and drew heavy support to $2.60 joint favouritism before claiming a powerful two-length triumph under Rachel King ahead of Quarterback ($13), while Parisest Magic ($71) closed strongly for third.
King mentioned I Am Dirty, a $600,000 Magic Millions yearling buy, showed significant progress from her debut placing behind fellow promising 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.”
The success of I Am Dirty fulfilled two roles 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!"
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