Du Jour (Temple City) provided the second of trainer Bob Baffert's three graded stakes victories on the card when he powered home first in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita Sunday. Owned by Jill Baffert and Debbie Lanni, the 6-year-old gelding settled towards the back of the field as Goliad (War Front) took the field through fractions of :22.82 and :45.75. The pacesetter was clear into the far turn, but his advantage soon evaporated at the top of the stretch. While 3-2 favorite Easter (Fr) (Exposhere {Aus}) was rolling up on the outside, it was Du Jour, who had made rapid progress late on the bend, darting to the rail for racing room and striding powerfully to the lead en route to an authoritative victory.
“We had a great ride,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “The horse showed some speed then settled down nicely down the backside. You always run well fresh, and on paper it seemed like this race was going to have a good amount of pace. My job was just to make sure we were in a comfortable zone, so he was able to show his talent through the final stretch.”
Du Jour won the 2021 GII American Turf S. under Baffert's tutelage before making three starts for New York-based Bill Mott. He was fourth in the GI Belmont Derby and third in the GI Saratoga Derby before concluding his time with Mott with an eighth-place effort in the Dueling Grounds Derby. Back with Baffert, the bay gelding was a narrowly beaten second in last year's GIII Thunder Road S. and Kilroe Mile. He earned a shot at the Breeders' Cup Mile with a win in the GII Del Mar Mile and was 10th, but beaten just 3 1/2 lengths, when last seen on championship weekend.
“It was so exciting, so I won't say unexpected but very exciting,” Lanni said of Du Jour's first top-level victory. “In the Breeders' Cup, he just wasn't himself, I don't think. He only finished 3 1/2 lengths behind, but 3 1/2 short.”
Pedigree Notes:
One of 14 graded winners for Temple City, Du Jour became his sire's fourth Grade I winner. Guiltless, a half-sister to graded winner Northern Causeway (Giant's Causeway), was purchased by the O'Callaghans' Woods Edge Farm for $60,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale. The mare produced a yearling filly by Street Sense last year.
Du Jour's third dam, Baby Zip, produced Grade I winner City Zip and Horse of the Year Ghostzapper.
Oh là là!#6 DU JOUR ($8.40) rated towards the back of the field, quickly made up ground on the turn, and showed a devastating turn of foot in the stretch to win Santa Anita's $300,000 G1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile! pic.twitter.com/AaFKC0ANQ6
— TVG (@TVG) March 3, 2024
Sunday, Santa Anita
FRANK E. KILROE MILE S.-GI, $301,500, Santa Anita, 3-3, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.95, gd.
1–DU JOUR, 122, g, 6, by Temple City
1st Dam: Guiltless, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Getaway Girl, by Silver Deputy
3rd Dam: Baby Zip, by Relaunch
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($19,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '20
OBSAPR). O-Natalie J. Baffert and Debbie Lanni; B-Woods Edge
Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000.
Lifetime Record: 17-6-3-2, $1,118,220. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Easter (Fr), 122, g, 6, Exosphere (Aus)–Excellent Girl (GB),
by Exceed And Excel (Aus). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. (€150,000
3yo '21 ARARC). O-Madaket Stables LLC; B-Aleyrion Bloodstock
Ltd. (FR); T-Philip D'Amato. $60,000.
3–Ah Jeez, 120, c, 4, Mendelssohn–Poetic, by Violence.
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($80,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $55,000 2yo '22
OBSAPR). O-Mark Davis; B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Doug F.
O'Neill. $36,000.
Margins: 2, 1 3/4, HF. Odds: 3.20, 1.50, 61.00.
Also Ran: First Peace, Dandy Man Shines (Ire), Goliad, Prince Abama (Ire), Mackinnon. Scratched: Irideo (Arg).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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