The Chosen Vron Back For More This Weekend

Don Valpredo is to Cal-breds what tungsten is to steel.

“I absolutely love the training industry and the breeding industry here,” said Vapredo, 85, over the phone from Bakersfield. “In fact, I'm sitting here today with the Stallion Register on my lap, trying to find the right mix for my broodmares.”

When Valpredo hasn't been producing Cal-breds–along with John Harris, he's responsible for 1994 California Horse of the Year, Soviet Problem–he's sought to popularize them through multiple warmed seats on multiple industry boards over multiple decades.

They even named a race after Valpredo, on the day he helped build to eulogize those sturdy Cal-breds he's so fond of–the Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint S., scheduled to go off again this Saturday, Cal Cup Day.

The winner of his race last year was a swanky chestnut rocket with hints of a Sequoia redwood in his coat by the name of The Chosen Vron (Vronsky). You might have heard of him. Lots have, thanks to a roundhouse of a campaign last year.

“Eric Kruljac has done a magnificent job with The Chosen Vron–he's one tough hombre,” said the scion of a family of growers, about trainer and horse, respectively.

“The training methods and the attention he's got in Kruljac's barn all add to the horse's tremendous success,” Valpredo added, before focusing his tribute. “He's an Arizona cowboy horseman, and they know how to take their time.”

Eric Kruljac | Benoit

The patient cowboy is pretty sweet on his runner, too.

“He's smart and he's competitive and he's got some talent,” said Kruljac, laying down the gauntlet early for understatement of the year–though in fairness, the trainer appeared to be merely warming to the task.

“He's got a lot of heart,” Kruljac added. “Just been a blessing for me to go into the barn and see him of a morning. He's just so cool to be around. He's all class.”

Much better.

Indeed, it was this race–the California Cup Sprint S.–which launched The Chosen Vron's 2023 campaign, showcasing just how classy a sprinter he was becoming, along with his increasing flair for the dramatic. A show-boater with a lust for the camera.

In last year's race, The Chosen Vron just held off by a whisker a fast-finishing Big City Lights (Mr. Big). Next up was a Sunday stroll in the Tiznow S.

Then it was back to slugging it out against Kings River Knight (Acclamation) in the Sensational Star S, before showing his rivals another clean set of hooves in the Thor's Echo S.

Making it seven wins in a row, the Thor's Echo recalibrated The Chosen Vron's horizons, for he was then pointed towards his highest summit yet in the G1 Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar–a race he claimed his own after a dogfight involving runner-up Anarchist (Distorted Humor) and Dr. Schivel (Violence), himself a two-time G1 winner.

Kruljac, unsurprisingly, recalls the race in terms that all but mention cherries and icing.

“Well, he had to check hard along the rail and he gave up two, three lengths. And for him to dig in and come back and win the way he did was just awesome–and in grade one company no less,” said Kruljac, recalling how The Chosen Vron was on the losing end of a mid-pack skirmish heading into the turn.

“Just watching him rally that last eighth of a mile and just will his way into the winner's circle,” Kruljac added, “it was the most exciting race of my career, for sure.”

Next up was the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. And though the race ended the horse's win-streak–he finished a never threatening fifth–there were excuses.

“I think I was too soft on him going into it and he just lacked a little sharpness. I think I backed off him too much after the Bing Crosby,” said Kruljac.

After the Breeders' Cup, however, so full of vim and vigor was The Chosen Vron, the trainer sent him back down the salt-mines just two weeks later, in the Cary Grant S. at Del Mar. He turned out the kind of effortlessly cool performance deserving of the race's namesake.

“I looked and saw the Cary Grant. I said, 'what the heck?' And he fired a huge race,” said Kruljac.

Previously, Kruljac had said about his stable star that he needed time between his races to flourish. Six weeks or more. Does the Cary Grant indicate an athlete still on the improve, one hardening into an even tougher husked antagonist?

“I think he's probably at a peak, but you never know. He's not a big horse, but extremely athletic and what's the word I'm looking for? He's just got great hinges on him. When he reaches out, he just covers so much ground so easily,” said Kruljac.

Jockey Hector Berrios aboard The Chosen Vron | Benoit

“Once he figured it out, he's just pretty much been pushbutton–just a great horse to be around in the morning in the barn and just all class,” Kruljac added. “He's a gelding, so that might make him a little easier, but it certainly hasn't cost him anything in his racing.”

Given the tumult that California racing finds itself–the impending closure of Golden Gate Fields and the shellacking that will surely have on the state breeding industry–it's probably fair to say that for fans of the good ol' honest Cal-bred, The Chosen Vron has become something of a white knight. Or perhaps more accurately, a Saint Jude-type, inspiring perseverance in difficult times.

At the very least, The Chosen Vron–who Kruljac co-owns with Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburg–has tinged this 70-year-old's career with the sanguine glow of a glorious Indian Summer.

Kruljac has six horses in training, five of them at Los Alamitos, with The Chosen Vron stabled at Santa Anita, under the charge of Herlindo Garcia, Kruljac's foreman.

Before The Chosen Vron began his ascent through the ranks, Kruljac was down on horses–so much so, he considered retirement, perhaps to help his son, Ian, with his training operation.

“I was thinking, 'this might be the last year,' so that I could be semi-retired in some form. But once he started running like he did, of course I had to stay in until he goes to pasture somewhere,” said Kruljac.

But is the future of Kruljac's training career really as inextricably linked with The Chosen Vron's? Might be smart to hold your bets for now.

One of the other five horses he has in training is the 3-year-old Clubhouse Bride (Clubhouse Ride), who made it two-for-two at Santa Anita on New Year's Day.

“We came back off of only three weeks from her debut,” said Kruljac, about a filly he calls “really well-made, balanced, beautiful and classy.”

“I was concerned when I saw the track, how deep they're keeping it,” he said, of Santa Anita. “Sure enough, she got pretty tired. But once that horse came to her, she dug in and finished the job. We're really excited about her.”

He also has four or five 2-year-olds coming in, including a “beautiful Clubhouse Ride” half-sister to The Chosen Vron.

“She's not named yet,” he said. “I don't really press on them hard early. I'd look at the earliest she would be ready to run by Del Mar or maybe in the fall. I think as a breeder, you just learn to be more patient and just enjoy the process.”

Ah yes, patience–far easier to execute on paper than in practice. Into his fourth decade with a license, however, Kruljac appears to have found a rich trade-route in this noble quality.

“The very first time or two that we breezed him after we gelded him, I knew if the horse stayed sound that he was going to be more than a maiden claimer for sure,” said Kruljac. “Though I'm not going to say I would know what he was going to win.”

The Chosen Vron | Benoit

But towards the end of his 3-year-old season–and with four stake wins already under his belt, including two GIIIs–The Chosen Vron's year was cut short with a niggling problem behind.

“We had to back off, and so we did. He had some OCD [Osteochondrosis] in a stifle, and we sent him to the right doctor up in Alamo Pintado [Equine Medical Center],” said Kruljac, singling out the work of surgeon, Carter Judy. “We owe him big time.”

The Chosen Vron returned to action the August of his 4-year-old season. Since then, his resume has been a blueprint of carefully calibrated restraint.

Which means that now, heading into this Saturday's race, The Chosen Vron “is very sharp in his gallops and workouts, so I'm very confident he's going to run a big race,” said Kruljac. “He's burning fire and ready to roll.”

As for the broader agenda for this year–provided all goes to plan this Saturday and beyond–probably a similar run of races to last year, said Kruljac, including another Del Mar waltz with Bing.

What about a potential return to the Breeders' Cup?

“Oh, absolutely. And the fact that it would be at Del Mar is another plus,” he said. “So yes, we're hopeful he comes back firing like he did last year, and with a better outcome.”

One notable absentee from Santa Anita this weekend will be the man whose race bears his name–he'll be watching at home confined to a cast, nursing a broken patellar. Turns out his hinges aren't quite as sturdy as The Chosen Vron's.

“I can outlive it, it's just that I've got to give it time,” said Valpredo, whose convalescence appears driven by the promise of a return to the track. “I'm so looking forward to it–you have no idea.”

Valpredo has a personal interest–though several times removed–in the Kruljac runner.

His “dear old friend” Elwood “Buddy” Johnson initially stood The Chosen Vron's sire, Vronsky, at his Old English Rancho farm, near Sanger, Central California.

“He was an underrated stallion,” said Valpredo, about Vronsky, who passed away in 2021. “But I've got a couple fillies by him, and I'm anxious to see them run also.”

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‘Very Positive’ Fasig-Tipton California Sale Topped by $250K Vronsky Colt

by Dan Ross & Jill Williams

A $250,000 colt by late California sire Vronsky led Tuesday's one-session Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, topping a dozen lots to sell for six figures. While the $5,751,500 gross for 185 head and $15,000 median (-11.76%) declined somewhat from the 2022 edition, average was up slightly from $30,522 in 2022 to $31,089 (+1.86%) this year. The buy-back rate, 25.7% in 2022, rose to 34%.

“Buy-backs may be up a little bit,” said Fasig-Tipton's California representative Mike Machowsky. “But the guys that breed these Cal-breds are happy to race them. The Cal-bred program is a very strong program and, as you see, we get great horses out here. It's solid. We're very happy and things are going the right way.”

Now in its fifth edition, the sale was headed by a new buyer to the California market in West Point Thoroughbreds. The organization, a major yearling purchaser in Kentucky and New York, was making their first purchase at the California sale.

“We're very pleased we had some new people buying before that we haven't had in the past,” said Machowsky.

“Overall the yearling market was very positive,” continued Machowsky. “It was strong all the way through. People are always looking for quality, what kind of fits their program, whatever they need. We had some very nice horses.

“It's resilient, this business. We'll be looking forward to next year and hopefully the Breeders' Cup [at Santa Anita] will add a little confidence. It turned out to be a really good sale in the yearling market. We're moving upward and next year hopefully we can capitalize on it again. We're here to make it work.”

The horses of racing age portion of the sale was led by Hip 357, an 2-year-old daughter of Outwork named Work It who broke her maiden on debut Sept. 15 at Los Alamitos. G. Chris Coleman picked up the Havens Bloodstock Agency-consigned filly for $85,000.

John Sadler, second from right, and the West Point team | Fasig-Tipton

Sadler Picks Up Vronsky Colt for West Point

West Point Thoroughbreds, which sprung for all or part of 14 yearlings at the recently concluded Keeneland September Yearling Sale, including the $3-million Into Mischief topper, added a California-bred Vronsky colt to the stable Tuesday. Out of Seasontoperfection (Poteen), the Jan. 23-foaled colt topped the Fasig-Tipton sale at $250,000.

Consigned by Harris Farms, Inc. and bred by Old English Rancho and Ken Tevelde, the colt is a half to Sept. 16 E.B. Johnston S. winner Kings River Knight (Acclamation). Trainer John Sadler, representing West Point, said the breeders “stayed in for a leg.”

Sadler trains Kings River Knight.

“We have the half-brother,” said Sadler, “who won three or four stakes this year. This horse looks a lot like the brother so we thought he'd be good for the Cal-bred program.”

In addition to Hip 211, West Point also bought a Violence filly out of Tryst (Candy Ride {Arg}) for $32,000. Consigned by McCarthy Bloodstock, agent, Hip 270 is out of a half-sister to GISW A Z Warrior (Bernardini) and additional GSWs/GISPs JoJoWarrior (Pioneerof the Nile) and E Z Warrior (Exploit).

Knapp Springs for Full-Brother to Finneus

California trainer Steve Knapp, whose Bus Buzz (Stay Thirsty) won Del Mar's Real Good Deal S. Aug. 4 after being purchased out of this same sale for $97,000 in 2021, made the $225,000 winning bid for Hip 165–also by Stay Thirsty–on behalf of owner Todd Sheehan. The Apr. 22 colt, already named Rumble King, is by the current second-leading California sire by 2023 progeny earnings.

A son of stakes-winning My Fiona (Ghostzapper), the colt was bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier and consigned by his Lovacres Ranch, where Stay Thirsty also stands. The colt is a full-brother to Golden State Juvenile S. winner and GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity runner-up Finneus, as well as a half to Melair S. winner Fi Fi Pharoah (American Pharoah).

Knapp was bullish on getting the colt. “He's beautiful and the whole family has won nothing but money. The mama's won almost $500,000 and the two babies have both won stakes races, so it's a good family.

“Stay Thirsty has had a lot of nice babies. Of all the ones they've given me, all of them can run. He's great for California. We like to keep them in California and run for the big money at Del Mar.”

Hip 81 | Fasig-Tipton

Wallers Get Back into Family with Improbable Filly

Eric and Sharon Waller bred and raced GII Sorrento S. winner and MGISP Spectator (Jimmy Creed), but had sold her dam, Diva's Tribute (Henny Hughes) when that filly was just a weanling. They got back into the family for $200,000 with Hip 81, an Improbable half-sister to Spectator.

“Not only did we breed Spectator, but we bred [her first two dams], which is where it all started,” said Eric Waller. “[Spectator's] mother was injured in a paddock accident so she never raced, then I bred her to Into Mischief and that foal had a paddock accident so she couldn't race. We ended up selling the mare at Keeneland before Spectator won a graded stakes, so I wanted to get that family back. This filly is the spitting image of Spectator, so I couldn't let her go.”

Waller lives in California and has “raced Cal-breds my whole life.” He indicated the Mar. 29 filly would go to Phil D'Amato, who also trained Spectator. Richard Barton Enterprises bred the Diva's Tribute filly in Kentucky and his California-based operation, Barton Thoroughbreds, agent, consigned.

Flatter Colt to Gasparrelli

A colt from the penultimate crop of Flatter, who died last year at 23, hammered for $200,000 to Steve Gasparrelli's Slugo Racing. Consigned by Lovacres Ranch LLC as Hip 197, the Apr. 26 colt is out of the winning Arch mare Rapid Repair.

“I like the Flatters,” said Gasparrelli. “They did pretty well at Del Mar, maybe a little more on the turf side but they ran good on dirt, too. Bottom line is the Flatters did pretty good at Del Mar and I like him with an Arch mare.”

Gasparrelli indicated the colt would be sent to trainer Mike Puype, who has all of the approximately 30-strong Slugo stable.

“We probably won't run him early. Puype's pretty conservative so we'll see. We'll let the horse tell us.”

Bred in California by Terry C. Lovingier, the $200,000 colt is out of a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Kitten's Point (Kitten's Joy) from the extended family of GISWs Marquetry (Conquistador Cielo) and You (You and I), as well as MGSW & GISP Five Star Day (Carson City).

“I just liked the horse's conformation,” said Gasparrelli. “He is a nice size, not too big, not too small. And he's a Cal-bred. I'm going more for the Cal-bred angle.”

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Colt From First Crop Of Barkley Tops WTBOA Sale

The 56th annual WTBOA Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale was held Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the WTBOA Sales Pavilion located at Emerald Downs racetrack in Auburn, Washington.

After seven outs, 75 yearlings went through the sales ring. Topping this year's venue was Hip 71, a colt by first-year stallion Barkley (Munnings), winner of the 2018 GIII Longacres Mile before retiring to Nina and Ron Hagen's El Dorado Farms in Enumclaw. The colt sold for $55,000.

The Hagens bred the saletopper, who was one of a trio of yearlings purchased by the San Francisco-based SmilingTigerStallion.com. The other two yearlings, both $32,000 purchases, were Hip 3, a Smiling Tiger distaffer out of stakes winner Rewritten (she was the highest-priced filly) consigned by Robin Mason, Critter Creek Farm, agent; and Hip 48, an Outwork half-brother to three-time stakes winner Slack Tide and recent Del Mar maiden special weight winner Impeachalot. A son of Sir Prancealot (Ire), Impeachalot was the 2022 WTBOA sale topper and races for Philip Lebherz and Richard Meister. Both colts were bred and consigned by Terry and Mary Lou Griffin's Griffin Place and are out of their stakes-placed mare Impeached.

The second highest-priced yearling came from the Griffin Place consignment, Hip 75, a son of GI Blue Grass S. Brophy's Cause, the first foal out of Washington champion racemare No Talking Back, whose first three dams were also Washington champions. Popular Emerald Downs trainer Bonnie Jenne signed the ticket for $52,000.

Hip 57, a colt from the final crop of California-based Vronsky out of three-time Washington champion Lady Rosberg, consigned by Griffin Place as agent for Darlyne Krieg, brought a bid of $38,000 from California trainer Andy Mathis.

Also bringing bids of $25,000 or more were: Hip 1, a Take Charge Indy colt that California trainer Mark Glatt purchased for $32,000 from the Griffin Place consignment; Hip 54, a colt from the first crop of GI Pacific Classic winner Higher Power out of Connie Belshay's $489,862 stakes winner Kiss Me that was hammered down to Where We At $27,000;  and Hip 31, an Om half-brother to Washington titleholders Miss Prospector and Brilliant Bird bred by Bret and Julie Christopherson (Bar C Racing Stables, agent) and purchased by John and Janene Maryanski and Gerry and Gail Schneider for $25,000.

The 58 yearlings sold for a total of $730,200 with an average price of $12,863 (down 27.2% from 2022) and a $6,500 median (down a drastic 45.8 percent). RNAs dropped to seven from nine when 76 yearlings sold in 2022.

The one mixed session two-year-old sold for $5,000 and the 15 mares going through the sales ring brought a $16,850 total and $1,123 average. Hip 214, Grazen Valor, a $47,346 winning full sister to graded-stakes winner and California horse of the year Lieutenant Dan, brought a $7,500 bid from Carl Seymour of Coulee Dam. After producing her first foal, a filly by Code of Honor, this past spring, the 6-year-old mare wasn't covered.

Complete sales results can be found here.

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Cal-Bred The Chosen Vron Takes ‘Win and You’re In’ Bing Crosby

The hometown hero got it done.

Facing an exceptionally deep field of sprinters in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar, it was the California-bred The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) who got the money. He, however, is not nominated to the Breeders' Cup and would have to be supplemented for this fall's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

With the victory, the 5-year-old gelding matched a bar set earlier in the day by Eclipse champion male sprinter Elite Power (Curlin) with both horses stretching their respective winning streaks to eight.

He entered off a series of state-bred stakes races dating back to last summer at Los Alamitos. Running over both turf and dirt at exclusively California tracks, The Chosen Vron last raced at Santa Anita May 28 with a 5 1/2-length romp in the Thor's Echo S.

Away from the gate in good order, the chestnut settled in the second flight of horses behind pacesetters Peaceful Waters (Dialed In) and Todo Fino (Chi) (Verrazano). The field shuffled around as Todo Fino was pulled up into the far turn and The Chosen Vron had to angle out to avoid clipping heels. Caught between horses now in seventh as the opening quarter went in :21.92, he came through a generous gap to be part of a six-horse calvary charge at the top of the lane.

Only three remained with less than a furlong to run and The Chosen Vron had to fend off a pair of rivals to his outside as all three runners came to the line together. With just a head separating the trio, the son of Vronsky got the bob over The Anarchist (Distorted Humor) and the 2021 winner of this race Dr. Schivel (Violence).

“If the next Cal-bred race had been on the dirt, I probably would not have gone today,” winning trainer Eric Kruljac said. “I went back and forth and my foreman told me he would shoot me if I didn't run. So I thought we might take a shot.”

Pedigree Notes:

The Chosen Vron is one of five graded winners, two at the top level, for his sire Vronsky. Tiz Molly, a half-sister to the stakes-placed Modacious (Uncle Mo), has produced fillies by Clubhouse Ride in 2022-23. Modacious, in foal to Quality Road, sold for $600,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. The Chosen Vron's third dam, Deputy's Delight, produced multiple graded stakes winner Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris), as well as Canadian champion Delightful Mary (Limehouse).

 

Saturday, Del Mar
BING CROSBY S.-GI, $403,500, Del Mar, 7-29, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.24, ft.
1–THE CHOSEN VRON, 122, g, 5, by Vronsky
1st Dam: Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful
2nd Dam: Deputie's Notebook, by Notebook
3rd Dam: Deputy's Delight, by French Deputy
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Sondereker Racing LLC, Kruljac, J. Eric, Fetkin, Robert S. and Thornburgh, Richard; B-Tiz Molly Partners (CA); T-J. Eric Kruljac; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $240,000. Lifetime Record: 17-13-1-2, $1,032,678. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click  for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Anarchist, 122, c, 4, Distorted Humor–Vicarious Won, by Elusive Quality. 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. ($75,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Ilium Stables, LLC; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill. $80,000.
3–Dr. Schivel, 122, h, 5, Violence–Lil Nugget, by Mining for Money. ($37,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEEJAN). O-Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Branch, William A.; B-William A. Branch & Arnold R. Hill (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $48,000.
Margins: HD, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.50, 8.00, 1.80.
Also Ran: Kid Corleone, C Z Rocket, American Theorem, Sibelius, Hoist the Gold, Get Her Number, Peaceful Waters, Todo Fino (Chi), Spirit of Makena. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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