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Santa Anita Stable Notes Saturday, March 16, 2024
3/16/2024
STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN __SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024 __
- MARCH GOES ON FOR KRULJAC, THE CHOSEN VRON - WORKS: DUBAI-BOUND NEWGATE, RUBY NELL DRILL - JOCKEYS FREY, BERRIOS EACH WIN A PAIR FRIDAY - NEW SYNTHETIC TRAINING TRACK OPENS FOR GALLOPERS MONDAY
THE MARCH GOES ON FOR KRULJAC, THE CHOSEN VRON The Chosen Vron has taken longtime trainer Eric Kruljac on the ride of his professional life.
Entering Saturday’s seven-furlong $100,000, GIII San Carlos, where The Chosen Vron is a prohibitive 3-5 favorite on the morning line, Kruljac and the 6-year-old California-bred gelding have teamed to win a remarkable 14 stakes races and bank more than $1.2 million in earnings.
On Tuesday, the 71-year-old Kruljac and The Chosen Vron were each honored at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s Awards Dinner and Annual Meeting. The Chosen Vron was named California-bred Horse of the Year for his 2023 campaign, plus champion older horse and champion sprinter. Kruljac was named Trainer of the Year.
“I was flattered,” Kruljac said of the honor Friday. “It was really kind of a neat thing to happen at this stage in the game being in my 70s. Hopefully we have another good season with all of our horses.”
According to Equibase statistics, Kruljac saddled his first starter in 1986. Entering Saturday’s action, he had 1,245 career wins and more than $25 million in earnings. The Chosen Vron is Kruljac’s only horse to surpass more than $1 million in earnings. His second-highest earner all time, Grade I winner Leave Me Alone, retired with a bankroll of $653,330.
In the San Carlos, The Chosen Vron seeks his fourth win in a graded stakes. As a 3-year-old, the son of Vronsky won both the GIII Lazaro Barrera and GIII Affirmed at Santa Anita. Last year, he earned his only Grade I victory in the Bing Crosby at Del Mar.
Kruljac said after 20 starts and 15 victories overall, The Chosen Vron remains “sound as new money.
“He’s basically the same horse,” Kruljac continued. “He’s fresh, really eager and very manageable. He has all the right vigor signs.”
The Chosen Vron kicked off this season Jan. 14 with a win in the six-furlong California Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. He’s been beaten only once in 11 starts dating back to September 2022, which was a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint here Nov. 4.
The Chosen Vron is out of Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful. He was bred by Tiz Molly Partners and is campaigned by Sondereker Racing, Kruljac, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.
The San Carlos goes as the eighth race Saturday with post time set for 4:36 p.m. PT. The field in post position order: The Chosen Vron, Hector Berrios (3-5); Elwood Blues, Juan Hernandez (4-1); I’m A Gambler, Frankie Dettori (8-1); Ghost of Midnight, Antonio Fresu (4-1); See Through It, Tiago Pereira (SCR); McLaren Vale, Joel Rosario (8-1); Super Chief, Kyle Frey (30-1).
WORK TAB: DUBAI-BOUND NEWGATE, RUBY NELL DRILL Newgate and Ruby Nell each returned to the work tab Saturday following their respective graded-stakes victories March 3 at Santa Anita.
Newgate, who earned his first Grade I win in the Santa Anita Handicap, fired a bullet with a five-furlong work in 58.20 seconds for trainer Bob Baffert. It was the fastest of 77 moves at the distance this morning. A 4-year-old Into Mischief colt, Newgate is slated to ship to the Middle East for a tilt in next Saturday’s GI, $12 million Dubai World Cup.
Ruby Nell, who won the GII Buena Vista at mile on turf most recently, worked three furlongs in 36.40 seconds. The 4-year-old Bolt d’Oro filly has four stakes wins and is 6-for-12 overall with $491,520 in earnings for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.
Other stakes winners on the tab Saturday included Big Pond, Endlessly and Planetario.
Grade I-placed Big Pond worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 for trainer Tim Yakteen. A 4-year-old California-bred filly by Mr. Big, Big Pond exits a dominant three-length win in the six-furlong Spring Fever here Feb. 18. Previously, she was beaten just a nose by Daddysruby in the GI La Brea at seven furlongs here Dec. 26.
As first reported by Daily Racing Form Friday, Yakteen plans to ship Big Pond to Keeneland next month for a go in the GI, $600,000 Madison Stakes at seven furlongs April 6.
Endlessly, who earned her third stakes win in the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby on synthetic at Golden Gate Feb. 10, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20. As a 2-year-old last year, the Oscar Performance filly won both the GIII Del Mar Juvenile Turf and GIII Zuma Beach, also on turf, at Santa Anita.
Planetario had his second consecutive seven-furlong work for Mandella, completing the drill in 1:25.80. Bred in Brazil, the 6-year-old gelding by Il Dodge last year won both the GIII San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita and GII Hollywood Turf Cup at Del Mar. Most recently, he kicked off the season with a second-place effort in the GIII San Marcos here Feb. 10.
FINISH LINES: Jockeys Kyle Frey and Hector Berrios combined to win half the races on Friday’s eight-race card. Frey won the third race aboard favorite We’ll Do It Live ($3.40) for trainer Jeff Bonde and the fourth on Blond Bombshell ($15.40) for trainer Debbie Winick. It was Winick’s first win at the Classic Meet…Gallopers will be permitted on Santa Anita’s new synthetic training track starting Monday…Saturday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 begins at 2:36 p.m. PT with the 10th race from Gulfstream Park…The Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-breds on the hillside turf is the St. Patrick’s Day feature Sunday…On Sunday, the first 1,000 fans who visit the East Paddock Gardens will receive a free print of the Santa Anita Jockey Colony. Various jockeys will be on hand to sign the print from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m…Santaanita.com Pick 4 Analyst Frank Scatoni will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Sunday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.