The trend of the racing's superstars, the horses that capture the public's imagination, the winners of the big stakes races like the Kentucky Derby (G1) or the Breeders' Cup, to ship-off to the breeding shed too soon is a sore spot for many fans who have followed their careers.
But there's a horse capturing the hearts of Southern California racing fans who has built his reputation on winning California-bred races and his trainer has no intention of retiring his stable star.
While The Chosen Vron has won a Grade 1, the Bing Crosby this past summer at Del Mar, he has done his best work in Cal-bred company, winning eight Cal-bred races in-a-row including this past Saturday's popular victory in the Cary Grant Stakes. The story will continue in 2024 as trainer Eric Kruljac has announced he is bringing the Vronsky gelding back next year as a 6-year-old.
The Chosen Vron's climb to fame started in 2020 when he broke his maiden in his debut at Santa Anita. He would win four of his six races in 2021, including two Grade 3's. He started an eight-race win streak at Los Alamitos in September 2022. It ended with his fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
“I've put the Breeders' Cup behind me,” Kruljac said. “He was kind of covered up. He might have had a little trouble getting out. I think he was behind a couple of horses and when they took off he didn't have his customary kick. I think he was a few lengths better, a few numbers faster than some of his races, but that comes with the competition. I think possibly he felt like he was surrounded.”
Kruljac compared it to a scene from the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”.
“When the railroad guy hired all the best guys in the world,” Kruljac joked. “Paul Newman says, 'Who are those guys?' That's what The Chosen Vron was saying about those East Coast horses.”
Kruljac is referring to the winner, Elite Power, and the runner-up, Gunite. Kruljac also believes maybe it was too much time between races for The Chosen Vron. He trained into the race off of the victory in the Bing Crosby at the end of July. That's three months.
“We took him back that day (in the Breeders' Cup),” Kruljac continued. “I think if I would have let him roll in there, I think he would have ended up a little better.”
Kruljac began entertaining thoughts of running The Chosen Vron back on just two weeks rest after looking at the upcoming stakes schedule.
“I looked forward two or three months and it's going to be a long time before the next Cal-bred race,” he says. “Another two months without running and we just did that. So I did something I've never done and let him run. We pulled blood and Dr. Araujo (his veterianarian) urged me to go ahead.”
The Chosen Vron returned to keep his win streak in Cal-bred races alive. He's won 14 races in his career, and Kruljac said after the Cary Grant win that it ranked right up there with the Bing Crosby.
“He's been unreal,” Kruljac noted after the race. “Coming back in two weeks. I was a little nervous, but the horse was so lively. Maybe we'll just let him roll early from now on.”
It's that energy and that effort that has Kruljac looking forward to 2024.
“Early in his career he had problems, he was slow in developing,” Kruljac recalled. “We had to give him some time, let him grow up. But since, he's been stone-cold sound. Three or four days after the Breeders' Cup he was jumping around playing and his coat was gleaming. He's always been happy training. Always been into the bit and still is. What a blessing this horse is.”
The post ‘He’s Been Unreal’: Cal-Bred Star The Chosen Vron To Return In 2024 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
