Du Jour had an ideal comeback after a four-month layoff to win his third stakes in the last four starts in Sunday’s Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf, part of a memorable day at Santa Anita for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.
Du Jour was the second of three consecutive graded stakes wins for Baffert on Sunday. Earlier on the program, he won Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds with Imagination. In the race after the Kilroe Mile, Baffert won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap with Newgate.
The Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, with a purse of $301,500, was Du Jour’s first win in a race at the highest level. The Kilroe Mile is the leading turf race of the winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita. Du Jour closed from sixth in a field of eight under jockey Flavien Prat, who guided the 6-year-old gelding on the inside on the turn before taking the lead in early stretch.
Du Jour, owned by Baffert’s wife Jill and Debbie Lanni, has won 6 of 16 starts and earned $1,118,220. The winner’s share of $180,000 in the Kilroe put Du Jour past seven-figures in career earnings.