Du Jour takes Wickerr Stakes with late rally
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DEL MAR, Calif. - Du Jour was seventh behind a line of horses with three furlongs remaining in Sunday’s $104,000 Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar when Juan Hernandez began to anticipate the moves of his rival jockeys.
“I felt like I had a lot of horse and I was waiting for someone to make a move and to follow them,” he said.
When the field reached early stretch, the opportunity arose when Evening Sun moved to the outside and Cathkin Peak moved to the inside. Du Jour had racing room.
“That helped me,” Hernandez said. “The horse was ready for today.”
Du Jour ($11.60) closed from fifth with a furlong remaining to win by a half-length over 42-1 Flavius, who was a half-length in front of 13-1 I’m a Gambler.
Du Jour ran a mile on turf in 1:34.13 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98, which equals his career-best.
Hit the Road finished fourth, followed by Cash Equity, Irideo, Cathkin Peak, Count of Amazonia, Restrainedvengence, Evening Sun, Time to Party, Salesman and Lamplighter Jack in the field of 13.
The Wickerr was restricted to non-winners of a first-place purse of $50,000 or more in races other than statebred at a mile or over since Sept. 1.
Du Jour, owned by Jill Baffert and Debbie Lanni and trained by Bob Baffert, ended an eight-race losing streak since the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs in May 2021.
A 5-year-old gelding by Temple City, Du Jour has won 4 of 14 starts and earned $738,220.
Du Jour did not race as a 4-year-old in 2022. The Wickerr Stakes was his fifth start of 2023. Earlier this year, Du Jour was second by a nose in the Grade 3 Thunder Road Stakes and second by a neck in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile, turf races at Santa Anita.
On May 29, Du Jour finished a troubled sixth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita, three lengths behind race winner Exaulted.
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