Fresh off what appeared to be the best race of his career, Du Jour retains the riding services of European legend Frankie Dettori and heads a field of six older horses going one mile on turf April 2 in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.
A 5-year-old gelding by Temple City , Du Jour took the 2021 American Turf (G2T) at Churchill Downs in his fourth start at 3. Winless since, he now has a record of 3-3-2 in 11 starts with earnings of $671,720. Most recently, the Bob Baffert trainee put in a furious rally locally under Dettori to finish second by a neck to Gold Phoenix in the March 4 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T). That followed a runner-up finish in the Thunder Road Stakes (G3T) a month earlier.
Owned by Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour would be best served by a fast pace, but given the race shape, he may have to lay a bit closer to the pace in the American than he did in the Kilroe, a race in which he was last of eight midway through the race.
Owned by Anthony Fanticola, 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding Earls Rock is also at the top of his game. A game head allowance optional claiming winner going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar two starts ago on Dec. 4, he prevailed by a nose over Du Jour in the Thunder Road Feb. 4.
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A fresh commodity after skipping the Kilroe Mile, Earls Rock will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli as regular rider Flavien Prat will be out of town on Sunday.
"He's ready to go and has been for a while," trainer Phil D'Amato said. "I almost ran him in the Kilroe, but we got a lot of rain that week and I didn't think he'd like a softer turf course. It should be perfect for him this weekend."
Earls Rock bids for his third win in a row and his fifth victory from eight overall starts—seven of which have been stateside with D'Amato.
C R K Stable's Exaulted, who will be making his first turf stakes appearance, is also bidding for his third consecutive turf win, as he comes off a pair of very impressive one-mile allowance scores on Jan. 2 and Feb. 5 and will be ridden for the third consecutive time by leading rider Juan Hernandez. Peter Eurton trains.
Bob and Jackie, whose speed could leave him loose on the lead, and Vanzzy complete the field.
An ungraded stakes winner going one mile on turf six starts back on July 24, Pozo de Luna's Irideo is a deep closer who will have to hope for a fast pace with Hector Berrios back aboard on Sunday. A 7-year-old gelding trained by Marcelo Polanco, Irideo flew late to be fourth, beaten three-quarters of a length by Earls Rock and Du Jour in the Thunder Road.
Earlier on the Sunday card at Santa Anita, another $100,000 stakes race at a mile on turf will be contested, this one for 3-year-olds. Carded as the third race, the Pasadena Stakes is led by the graded-placed Game Time along with Johannes and Wizard of Westwood, who were 1-2 in the March 5 Baffle Stakes.
Post time for the Pasadena Stakes is approximately 2 p.m. PT, roughly two hours before the American goes as the seventh race on the nine-race program.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, April 2, 2023, Race 7Entries: American S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Earls Rock (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 124 Philip D'Amato 8/5 2 2Bob and Jackie (KY) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 124 George Papaprodromou 15/1 3 3Du Jour (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 124 Bob Baffert 9/5 4 4Exaulted (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 120 Peter Eurton 4/1 5 5Vanzzy (KY) Joe Bravo 122 Dan Blacker 10/1 6 6Irideo (ARG) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 Marcelo Polanco 4/1
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, April 2, 2023, Race 3Entries: Pasadena S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Keen to Go (KY) Edwin A. Maldonado 120 Doug F. O'Neill 12/1 2 2Wizard of Westwood (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 120 Michael W. McCarthy 3/1 3 3Game Time (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 120 John W. Sadler 5/2 4 4Mucino (KY) Tiago Josue Pereira 120 Doug F. O'Neill 8/1 5 5Johannes (KY) Umberto Rispoli 120 Tim Yakteen 4/5
