By DRF.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (July 24, 2024) – Although the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint is the one that got away from The Chosen Vron – his only loss in his last 14 starts – the California-bred gelding’s main objective for 2024 was always the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.
One year after he cemented his reputation as top sprinter in California by winning the Bing Crosby despite a brutal trip, The Chosen Vron will try for a repeat Saturday in the $400,000, six-furlong race. Trainer Eric Kruljac is happy with the gelding’s condition, and wary of the competition.
“So far everything’s perfect, he’s on tilt,” Kruljac said last weekend at Del Mar after The Chosen Vron rolled through a sharp half-mile workout under jockey Hector Berrios. But the quality of the Bing Crosby field is not lost on Kruljac. “It’s going to be tougher than last year,” he said.
Last year’s Cal-bred Horse of the Year was bred by Tiz Molly Partners and is owned by Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thomburgh.
The Chosen Vron faces eight rivals in the Bing Crosby, the first Grade 1 of the Del Mar summer meet and a “Win and You’re In” for the BC Sprint over the same track Nov. 2. In order to capture his second Bing Crosby, The Chosen Vron must defeat a good field.
Straight No Chaser has trained super for his second start back, acting like he might reproduce the 107 Beyer Speed Figure he earned in a Grade 3 more than a year ago. Happy Jack crushed a Grade 2 at seven furlongs with a 105 last out. His stablemate Anarchist, Bing Crosby runner-up last year, ran better than looked in his comeback. Jackstown, 2 for 2, moves up in class off a fast allowance.
The horse to beat is The Chosen Vron, who is climbing the list of the all-time Cal-breds.
“There’s been some great ones, but they’re few and far between,” Kruljac noted. “You just hold your breath when you have one like this.”
The Chosen Vron ranks 27th on the California-bred earnings list with $1,419,678. If he wins the $400,000 Bing Crosby, he will rank 20th.
A 6-year-old gelding by Vronsky, out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron has won five straight stakes since finishing fifth in the BC Sprint last fall at Santa Anita. Kruljac would love another shot at the BC Sprint that will be run over a Del Mar surface the gelding handles so well.
“I think he prefers [Del Mar] over Santa Anita,” Kruljac said.
His jockey agrees.
“He likes it here,” Berrios said Sunday after working The Chosen Vron. “He was looking around [happily] with a good stride. Nice.”
Kruljac will not burden the jockey with instructions, but the trainer hopes “if he breaks super, just go on with it. He can do anything.”
The Chosen Vron has won 18 of 23 starts, including three wins at Del Mar. He drew perfectly in post 8.
Straight No Chaser is dangerous speed, with a freaky performance in spring 2023 at Pimlico to run back to. He won the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint by more than seven lengths with a 107 Beyer, but was sidelined afterward with “bone remodeling.” His comeback this spring did not go well. He stumbled at the start of the Grade 3 Runhappy at Aqueduct, rushed, and finished fourth.
Dan Blacker trains 4-for-8 Straight No Chaser, who has worked very well.
“The Bing Crosby’s always been the goal,” Blacker said. “And he’s the kind of horse that runs better with more spacing between races.”
Straight No Chaser, pure speed, will make his first start since May under Antonio Fresu.
Trainer Doug O’Neill entered Grade 2 winners Anarchist and Happy Jack. Anarchist finished a head behind The Chosen Vron in the Bing Crosby last summer, then won the Pat O’Brien before he was turned out after becoming body sore. His comeback was a better-than-looked sixth in a listed stakes at Churchill Downs.
“He ran dynamite,” O’Neill said. “He was down on the inside, and they were absolutely flying. He hung in there, fought, and came out of it in great shape. He should really move up from that effort.”
Kazushi Kimura rides Anarchist, who drew the rail.
Happy Jack is O’Neill’s “now” horse. A 5-year-old with only two starts this year, he exploded in the seven-furlong Triple Bend at Santa Anita last out, winning by more than four lengths.
“Just maturity, his owners gave him time to freshen up, and he’s matured into what you’re seeing right now – a really good horse.”
Happy Jack will be ridden by Edwin Maldonado.
Others in the field include Cal-bred See Through It, Giant Game, Roll On Big Joe, and Closethegame Sugar. The Bing Crosby is race 10 on an 11-race card that includes the Grade 2 San Diego for older horses and the Daisycutter for female turf sprinters.
See Through It is by Curlin to Mischief, out of the Chester House mare Crystal House, was bred by Edward Allred, is owned by Lizbeth Medina and trained by Genaro Vallejo. He has 15 wins in 43 starts, earnings of $462,854 and is coming off a back-to-back starter’s allowance wins.