Contested came out of the Acorn Stakes in good order according to Bob Baffert
Trained by Bob Baffert for his wife Natalie Jill Baffert, Contested recently landed the fourth consecutive win of her career in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes on Memorial Day weekend at Belmont Park, after nipping Zo Impressive for an impressive win in her first
grade 1 attempt.
Bob Baffert reported after the race, Contested is doing fine, and she came out of the race in good order, but the future plans for the daughter of Ghostzapper are yet to be determined.
“We’re just too excited,” said Bob Baffert, who spoke via telephone and who trains Contested for his wife, Jill. “We’ve never owned a horse this good. If I were training her for someone else, I could tell you exactly what we were going to do. She’s really
just coming to hand right now, and I want to space her races out.”
Bred in Kentucky by Cherry Valley Farm, Contested failed to break her maiden at first attempt, but if she had won it, then she would have stayed undefeated in five starts.
Over at Del Mar’s poly track at about five and half furlongs, Contested finished a whisker adrift of the winner, Egg Drop, in second on 3 September, 2011.
However, she put her act together, and relished the opportunity over at dirt, and in second asking she downed the 6 furlong dash at Santa Anita Park on 2 October, 2011.
At about six and a half furlongs, Contested kicked off his 2012 season with an allowance test at Santa Anita Park, and dominated the rest of the field by nipping Hidden Passion in second place and Heleonor Rugby in third, with the winning time of 1 minute
and 15.58 seconds.
Out of Arch mare Gold Vault, Contested got her big break when Bob Baffert pointed in the Grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs. Going seven furlongs under her then-regular rider, Martin Garcia, Contested came way off the pace and stole victory from
Good Deed in the nick of time and covered the seven furlong distance in 1 minute and 21.29 seconds.
After winning the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, the 3-year-old filly division has plenty of races, but it depends if Baffert wants her to stretch out or get back to six or seven furlongs.
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