Contested, a five-length winner of the Acorn Stakes (gr. I), posted her final workout prior to the June 23 Mother Goose (gr. I), traveling six furlongs in 1:11.97 on the Belmont Park main track June 17.
Also on this weekend's Belmont work tab for the Mother Goose was Acorn runner-up Zo Impressive and Disposablepleasure, who was confirmed for the upcoming race by Todd Pletcher's stable.
Jim Barnes, an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, flew in from California the night before to observe Contested's workout.
“I had her in 1:11 4/5 and she galloped out nice,” said Barnes. “We’re ready. (Javier) Castellano worked her and was very happy with the way she worked. I couldn’t be happier. Bob is happy. We’re all happy.”
Baffert trains the daughter of Ghostzapper for his wife, Jill. Contested will enter the Mother Goose, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies, off four straight open-length victories, including a 4 ¾-length score in the Eight Belles (gr. III) May 4 at Churchill Downs prior to her romp in the Acorn.
Meanwhile, trainer Tom Albertrani hopes a different pace scenario will help Zo Impressive, second to Contested in the Acorn, turn the tables in the Mother Goose.
In the Acorn, Contested led by three lengths at the first call as Zo Impressive settled in third, 5 ½ lengths behind the eventual winner. Zo Impressive dropped back to fourth a half-mile into the race, then made a wide rally into second, ultimately making little impact on the winner.
“In the Acorn nobody really went with Contested,” said Albertrani, who trains Zo Impressive for Live Oak Plantation. “I was thinking (Aubby K) might go with her, but we found ourselves up close. We wanted to take back a little. A different scenario might help us where there might be a little more pressure on the front runners.”
Zo Impressive has never finished outside the exacta in four starts, having opened her career with a pair of victories this winter at Gulfstream Park and finishing second to Grace Hall in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) in March prior to the Acorn.
On June 16, Zo Impressive breezed five furlongs in 1:02.15 at Belmont.
Disposablepleasure was confirmed for the Mother Goose by Pletcher assistant Michael McCarthy following her :49.49 four-furlong breeze the same morning at Belmont.
Winner of the Demoiselle (gr. II) in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, Disposablepleasure will attempt to win her first grade I in the Mother Goose. In three starts so far in 2012, the Glencrest Farm color-bearer has finished fourth in the Davona Dale (gr. II) in February at Gulfstream, third in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) in New Orleans in March, and second in the Black-Eyed Susan (gr. II) May 18 at Pimlico Racecourse.
“She came out of the Black-Eyed Susan in good order and is training forwardly,” said McCarthy.
Broadway's Alibi, also under consideration for the Mother Goose for Pletcher and owner E. Paul Robsham Stables, did not breeze as planned June 17.
Contested
