There are few constants in Thoroughbred racing, but one seems to be that if there is a sprint race outside of the quality of the Breeders’ Cup in Southern California, The Chosen Vron is the winner.
It has been that way since fall 2022, and it remains that way. Competing May 25 in the $98,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes on California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita Park, the popular 6-year-old gelding once again prevailed. His victory, his second in a row in Thor’s Echo, marked the 13th time he has achieved victory in his last 14 starts since September 2022, with the only exception being fifth in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita.
The Chosen Vroncap, 6/g
Vronsky – Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful
Owner: Sondereker Racing LLC, Fetkin or Thornburgh, et al.
Breeder: Tiz Molly Partners (CA)
Coach: J. Eric Kruljac
Jockey: Héctor Isaac Berrios
Information provided by Equibase at the time of entry.
As always, he made it look easy against the California-bred. Taken in charge from the start to keep pace with Sawasdee, he comfortably engaged and passed that rival in the stretch and glided home under minimal pressure from regular jockey Hector Berríos. He was timed going six furlongs in 1:09.37 and returned just $2.10 to win and defeat all three of his rivals.
Sawasdee took second place, ahead of Moose Mitchell in third and California Tiger in fourth.
Trainer Eric Kruljac co-owns the millionaire Vronsky gelding with Sondereker Racing, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh. Tiz Molly Partners bred him.
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“He’s a great horse,” Kruljac said of The Chosen Vron. “I’m really speechless when you think about the three years of racing, what’s happened and what he’s done.”
The Chosen Vron is now 18 for 23 with earnings of $1,419,678. All but one of his victories have been at stake.
With the Hollywood Meet at Santa Anita concluding on June 16, the racing action in Southern California will soon move to the Los Alamitos and Del Mar racetrack, where The Chosen Vron won the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) last summer .
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In other action generated in California on Gold Rush Day:
- Kings River Knight led from start to finish in the $102,000 Crystal Water Stakes on turf under Juan Hernandez for his fifth consecutive victory. John Sadler trains the Acclamation gelding for owners Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth Tevelde.
- Stay and Scam triumphed in the $102,500 Fran’s Valentine Stakes, running a mile on firm turf in 1:35.13, faster than Kings River Knight’s record of 1:35.75 an hour earlier. Mario Gutierrez rode the homebred daughter of Square Eddie of Reddam Racing for trainer Doug O’Neill.
- Shady Tiger took the lead from the inside post and bravely held back all challengers to win the $127,500 Snow Chief Stakes by a half-length. The 3-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding won his fourth consecutive race for trainer Phil D’Amato and owner/breeder Rusty Brown. After four sprints to start his race, Shady Tiger was up to the task of stretching to 1 1/8 miles on the grass, stopping the clock at 1:49.70.
- It was another win for the Smiling Tiger stallion in the $126,000 Melair Stakes, where the 3-year-old filly Grand Slam Smile was by far the best. Based at Golden Gate Fields with trainer Steve Specht, homebred Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams ran 1 1/16 miles on dirt in 1:45.82 while winning his fourth stakes race in seven starts in his life.
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