First by the slimmest of margins, heavily favored The Chosen Vron found a way to get it done in Sunday's $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita as he had show punters looking for a bridge to jump from before the photo finish came down.
Owned in-part and trained by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron nosed out a game Kings River Knight while getting about 6½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:12.97 under Hector Berrios as the pair posed for their sixth consecutive win in what was The Chosen Vron's 10th career stakes victory.
The Sensational Star is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or -sired horses.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Kings River Knight took the lead from Fast Buck at the half-mile pole and these two went head and head for the front approaching the dirt crossing at the top of the lane as The Chosen Vron, who was bothered by an erratic Jack Sixpack, was caught four-deep and about two lengths off the lead.
With Fast Buck falling out of it approaching the furlong pole, Kings River Knight opened up two lengths on Jack Sixpack as both The Chosen Vron and Indian Peak got rolling late. In a thriller, it was The Chosen Vron winning by a nose from Kings River Knight, who was a head in front of third-place finisher Indian Peak.
Fresh off a romping 6½-length win going a mile on dirt in the state-bred Tiznow Stakes Feb. 20, The Chosen Vron was off at 1-5 in a field of five older horses and paid $2.60 for the win. (There was $128,123 bet to show on the winner, creating a minus show pool of $27,590).
“I had to wait a bit to assure my position and I went a little wide on the turn, but I knew what I had under me and we got it done,” said Berrios. “There was a little doubt that we won, but I'm glad we did.”
A 5-year-old gelding by now-deceased sire Vronsky out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron was bred in California by Tiz Molly Partners and is owned by Eric Kruljac, Sondereker Racing LLC, Robert Fetkin, and Richard Thornburgh.
With Saturday's win, The Chosen Vron picked up $60,000, increasing his earnings to $732,678.
“I thought we got it by a nostril, a very thin one,” said Kruljac. “Maybe a nasal hair. He came (on) when he needed to. He had a little trouble early and it cost him some momentum (but) he kicked back in. Maybe he likes to scare you, you know?”
Kings River Knight, in his first start for John Sadler, ran a tremendous race at 7-1 to get second.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez for Peter Miller, Indian Peak made a solid run from off the pace but came a head short for second.
Fractions on the race were :22.22, :44.60, and 1:06.96.
The post Cal-Bred Star The Chosen Vron Extends Win Streak In Sensational Star Thriller, Notches 10th Stakes Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
