Baffert says Du Jour has been retired

ARCADIA, Calif. - Casalu’s win in Saturday’s Blue Norther Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita was the first stakes victory on the surface for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert since Du Jour won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at the same venue last March.

Casalu is the stable’s top turf runner at the start of 2025. Baffert said on Sunday that Du Jour was retired in the fall to start a second career as a hunter-jumper.

Du Jour, a winner of 6 of 21 starts, has since been sent to Kentucky, where he is based with Amy Bunt.

A 7-year-old gelding in 2025, Du Jour, owned by Baffert’s wife, Jill, and Debbie Lanni, was sixth in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 in his last start.

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The Kilroe Mile was the last of Du Jour’s four stakes wins. Du Jour earned $1,173,220.

Casalu won for the second time in her seventh start in the Blue Norther, her first stakes win.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman and Karl Watson, Casalu was purchased for $775,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training last April. She has earned $174,546.

“She likes the turf and she has turf options,” Baffert said.

The next two-turn stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Santa Anita is the $100,000 China Doll Stakes at a mile on March 23.

Straight No Chaser progresses toward Saudi

Straight No Chaser, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 and a leading contender for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding sprinter of 2024, is working toward his 2025 debut in Saudi Arabia in February.

On Sunday at Santa Anita, Straight No Chaser worked a half-mile in 48 seconds. Trainer Dan Blacker said he timed Straight No Chaser in a slightly quicker 47.80 seconds. Blacker described the workout as “super good.”

“He’s a super workhorse and he did it in his normal style,” Blacker said.

Straight No Chaser is a candidate for the Group 2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, a $2 million race at six furlongs in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 22.

Straight No Chaser, who is owned by the My Racehorse syndicate, has had two works since the BC Sprint. He worked three furlongs in 35.80 seconds on Dec. 22.

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