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‘An Absolute Gift’: The Chosen Vron Gives 70-Year-Old Trainer Eric Kruljac Second Breeders’ Cup Starter

In 2009 at Santa Anita, veteran Southern-California based trainer Eric Kruljac had his one and only Breeders' Cup starter, 17-1 longshot La Nez, who finished off the board in that year's Juvenile Fillies turf.

Kruljac holds a much stronger hand for his second go-around at the Breeders' Cup. On Saturday, the 70-year-old conditioner will saddle one of the top contenders in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, The Chosen Vron.

Listed at 5-1 on the morning line, The Chosen Vron will attempt to become just the sixth California-bred to win a Breeders' Cup race. Three of those previous winners prevailed in the Sprint – Thor's Echo (2006), Dancing In Silks (2009) and Amazombie (2011).

“This is really the highlight of my career,” said Kruljac, who has won 1,241 races and trained seven graded-stakes winners in a career that began in 1986. “At my age, to have a horse like The Chosen Vron, it's an absolute gift.”

The Chosen Vron has been a win machine for Kruljac and co-owners Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fatkin and Richard Thomburgh. A 5-year-old gelding by Vronsky, The Chosen Vron has won 13-of-17 starts including eight straight entering the Breeders' Cup. Most recently, he provided Kruljac with his second career Grade I victory when taking the six-furlong Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Finishing two heads back in third that day was Dr. Schivel, who is also entered in Saturday's Sprint.

“He's doing absolutely fabulous,” Kruljac said of his Breeders' Cup hopeful. “We freshened him up after the Bing Crosby and he couldn't be training any better.”

The Chosen Vron's win in the Bing Crosby pushed him over $1 million in career earnings ($1,032,678). He has worked seven times for the Sprint, all on the Santa Anita training track. Last Saturday, he drilled a half mile in 47.20 seconds, which was the second-fastest of 19 moves at the distance.

“In the Bing Crosby there were a couple of really formidable horses with (runner-up) Anarchist and Dr. Schivel,” Kruljac said. “But this race, you look at the field and it's just like, wow.”

Bred by Tiz Molly Partners, The Chosen Vron is out of allowance winner Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful. He will break from post six in a nine-horse field set for the Sprint. Jockey Hector Berrios, who has been aboard for the entirety of The Chosen Vron's current winning streak, will again be in the irons.

“The Chosen Vron always gives us everything he's got,” Kruljac said. “We just hope he's good enough.”

In the first race on Saturday, Kruljac will saddle Kiss Today Goodbye in the marathon G3 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance going 1 5/8 miles on the main track. Installed at 5-1 on the morning line, Kiss Today Goodbye most recently was second behind Breeders' Cup Classic contender Missed the Cut in the G3 Tokyo City at 1 ½ miles here Oct. 1.

Kiss Today Goodbye will have a new rider Saturday. Berrios, who has been aboard for his last four, is being swapped out for Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza. Kruljac noted Kiss Today Goodbye can be tough on a jockey.

“He's a horse you have to ride the entire way around,” he noted. “I wanted to give Hector a break so he would be at his best on The Chosen Vron.”

The post ‘An Absolute Gift’: The Chosen Vron Gives 70-Year-Old Trainer Eric Kruljac Second Breeders’ Cup Starter appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Lockinge Hero Creachadoir Dead At 19

Group 1 winner Creachadoir (Ire) (King's Best–Sadima {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells) died at Haras de la Tricoliere due to a suspected cardiac event after the 2023 breeding season, Jour De Galop reported on Thursday.

Bred by Frank Dunne, the bay was an €83,000 Tattersalls Ireland September Sale grad when picked up by his first trainer Jim Bolger. He raced in the colours of Bolger's wife and John Corcoran through his first nine starts at two and three which resulted in a pair of Group 3 victories and placings in both the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and the French equivalent. Purchased by Godolphin, he made his first start for the Saeed bin Suroor barn a winning one in the G3 Joel S. at Newmarket in October of 2007. Second later that year in the G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin, he resumed at four with a victory in the G1 Lockinge S. in May of 2008.

Eventually retired with a mark of 15-4-3-2 and $1,161,141 in earnings, Creachadoir stood at several French farms throughout his career. He moved to Haras de la Tricoliere this year. Utilised as a sire under both codes, he left stakes winner What About Carlo (Fr) on the Flat. His best NH horse was Footpad (Fr), who won a quartet of Grade 1 races.

He is a half-brother to dual Group 1 winner and sire Youmzain (Ire) (Sinndar {Ire}), as well as group winner Shreyas (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}). Noted runner Pilsudski (Ire) (Polish Precedent), who took top-level races in five countries, is under the third dam.

Tin Horse (Ire) (Sakhee), who has six stakes winners over jumps, will stand at Haras de la Tricoliere for €2,500 next year.

The post Lockinge Hero Creachadoir Dead At 19 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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A Year Removed from a Horse of a Lifetime, Sadler Three Deep at Breeders’ Cup

ARCADIA, CA – With a trio of longshot chances entered in this weekend's Breeders' Cup, trainer John Sadler found a quiet spot on the apron to watch his 9:00 a.m. set train at Santa Anita on Wednesday morning.

It was a very different scene ahead of last year's Championships as the 67-year-old put the finishing touches on the once-in-a-lifetime Flightline (Tapit), who concluded his brilliant career unbeaten from six starts with a performance for the ages in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland.

How's life after Flightline treating you these days John Sadler?

“He's one of the greatest horses to ever run, so it's a little different,” he replied. “I've been doing this a long time, so I know the ebb and flow of it. Even though you may not have another one like that, you're gonna sure be looking for one. Everybody goes, well, is it easier this year?”

“I'll take last year any day,” Sadler said with a big laugh.

Located directly below Santa Anita's signature facade in the grandstand breezeway, a spectacular mural depicting Flightline's jaw-dropping 11 1/2-length victory in the 2021 GI Runhappy Malibu S. was unveiled on opening day at the Great Race Place last winter.

Sherackatthetrack photo

There are plenty of reminders of the big horse scattered around the facility.

“It's great to see,” Sadler said while seated just a few feet away from a cardboard cutout of the 2022 Horse of the Year, who covered 152 mares during his first season at stud at Lane's End this year.

“What's gonna be fun is that he's gonna set the market next week at Keeneland (and Fasig-Tipton)–some of those mares will sell in foal to him and next year he'll have foals on the ground. His saga is still being written.”

The fun will begin for Sadler this weekend with $240,000 OBS April graduate Slider (Jimmy Creed) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Friday. The Hall Racing, Pearl Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds colorbearer, listed at 8-1 on the morning-line, captured the local Speakeasy S. in his first try on turf Oct. 7.

The stretch-running Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute) figures to get a nice set up in Saturday's speed-laden GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The Keith Abrahams homebred, given a 10-1 shot on the morning-line, was a come-from-behind, last out winner of the local prep GIII Chillingworth S. Sept. 29.

Missed the Cut (Quality Road), meanwhile, will be one of the longest shots on the board as Sadler goes for a third win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The dominating 1 1/2-mile GIII Tokyo City Cup S. Oct. 1 winner, a $400,000 KEENOV weanling and 40,000gns TATFEB graduate, is campaigned in partnership by Bee Zee, Lanes End Racing, St. Elias Stables, Edward P. Babington, Edward J. Hudson, Jr. and Lynne Hudson.

“It's one of the things that I'm proudest of that we end up in the Breeders' Cup a lot of these years,” Sadler said. “We're going over there with horses that may not be the favorite, but they all have chances. When you get at this level, you have to realize that everybody you're running against is top class. They're good, tough races, but that's the way it should be.”

The post A Year Removed from a Horse of a Lifetime, Sadler Three Deep at Breeders’ Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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