Baffert Treads Unfamiliar Territory With Du Jour

Hall of Fame and two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert has captured 18 Breeders' Cup races in his career but the common denominator in those races has been one thing: they have all been on the dirt.

Of the trainer's 137 Breeders' Cup starters, only four have been on the turf although he did come close in the 1999 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) when the sensational French-bred mare Tuzla fell a neck short of catching Silic at the wire. Baffert's most recent turf starter was Speed Boat Beach , who was ninth in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).

Baffert will saddle the scrappy gelding Du Jour , 15-1 on the morning line, in the Nov. 4 Mile.

"It's been a while since I saddled (one) on the turf in the Mile," Baffert said. "You just need so much luck in these turf races. You need the trip, you need the seam, you need to catch the seam. You need the post position and to break well."

Du Jour, breaking from the desired middle 8-post with Flavien Prat aboard, does carry some upside heading into the Mile despite Baffert's scant record on the turf. Owned in partnership by Baffert's wife Natalie and Debbie Lanni, Du Jour yields the homecourt advantage ahead of Saturday's race. The 4-year-old Temple City   gelding has knocked heads against the best in Southern California all year and comes into Saturday off two consecutive wins in the Wickerr and Del Mar Mile (G2T) stakes.

In the Sept. 2 Del Mar Mile, Du Jour earned a career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 114 when trouncing favored Exaulted  by 2 1/4 lengths in a snappy 1:33.82 for the mile.

"His last two races have been pretty remarkable," Baffert said. "You just don't know what you're up against with these European horses, the'yre so tough. But he's been training very well.

"He's live and he deserves the chance to run. He's a good horse. It's going to be exciting."

An easy-to-rate horse with a versatile running style, if the foreigners stumble, Du Jour could easily be there to pick up the pieces.