The Chosen Vron © Benoit Photo
THE CHOSEN VRON TO RUN IN THE G2 PAT O’BRIEN AT DEL MAR
Trainer J. Eric Kruljac noted immediately following the G1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar last month that he would not be training The Chosen Vron’s up to the Breeders’ Cup this year. That at some point he would run his star gelding in a prep between now and November. Now he’s decided on what that prep will be.
Kruljac says he will run in next Saturday’s G2, $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes, a 7-furlong affair that may also attract this year’s Saudi Cup winner, Senor Buscador.
“He’s doing great,” Kruljac says of The Chosen Vron. ”We’re going to breeze tomorrow (Saturday) morning. So far he’s hitting on all cylinders and I couldn’t be any more pleased with his training.”
The Chosen Vron put in his first work since the Bing Crosby last Saturday when he went three furlongs in :36.00, fourth best of 16 works at the distance that morning. So what does Kruljac do to keep ‘Vron’ in top form?
“When you’re given a model of perfection it’s pretty easy,” Kruljac notes. “It’s not rocket science.”
Last year The Chosen Vron also won the Bing Crosby, a ‘Win & You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Kruljac chose to train the horse up to the big race and he ran a well-beaten fifth, 5 ¼ lengths behind the winner, Elite Power.
“I felt like I gave him too much time between the Bing Crosby and the Breeders’ Cup last year,” Kruljac admits. “He’s thriving and so far so good.”
All trainers dream of the day they have a superstar horse. For Kruljac, the ride on The Chosen Vron has exceeded expectations.
“Far beyond,” he says, “because I never had the bankroll with instructions to find me a Derby horse or a Test winner. They just come along. I’ve always enjoyed buying yearlings instead of claiming. My grandfather got me kicked off looking at yearlings.
Kruljac’s grandfather won honors for cattle breeding. Actually ran a research program that started a process to find the gene that was causing deformities in some of his cattle.
“He always had three or four broodmares,” Kruljac recalls. “I’d go to the races with him quite often so it was in my blood at an early age.”
Kruljac is one of the breeders of The Chosen Vron which, if it’s possible, makes the experience of the last three years even more special.
“Absolutely, if it wasn’t for The Chosen Vron I probably would be retired by now,” the 71-year-old Kruljac claims. “It’s a gift.”
The 6-year-old son of Vronsky has won 19 of his 24 starts and finished in the money in 22 of them. He’s amassed over $1.6 million in earnings and is the reigning Cal-bred Horse of the Year. ‘Vron’ is currently riding a six-race win streak which he started after the Breeders’ Cup loss. Before that, he strung together eight straight wins.
Entries for next Saturday’s Pat O’Brien will be drawn Wednesday.
ISCREAMUSCREAM LEADS D’AMATO TRIO IN G1 DEL MAR OAKS
The top four finishers in last month’s G2 San Clemente are back for this Saturday’s G1 Del Mar Oaks presented by Keeneland Sales. Six of the best grass fillies on the grounds and two out-of-town invaders will tangle in the 1 1/8 mile event on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
The San Clemente winner Iscreamuscream and runner-up Zona Verde are out of the Phil D’Amato barn, who has three fillies in the race. He’s also entered the G3 Honeymoon winner Circle of Trust.
Iscreamuscream beat stablemate Zona Verde by three-quarters of a length in the San Clemente, which was run at one mile.
“She’s a filly on the improve,” D’Amato says. “She’s undefeated and hopefully we’ll keep it that way. She’s training very well and I don’t think the added distance should be an issue with her. Hector Berrios seems to get along with her very well.”
Zona Verde won the G3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar last fall and ran an equally strong race last out in the San Clemente.
“I thought it was a much improved effort second time off the bench,” D’Amato notes. “She’s a graded stakes winner at Del Mar so she likes this course and the way this turf course is playing it should suit her tactical style.”
D’Amato’s third entry in the Oaks is Circle of Trust, a daughter of Union Rags who handled the mile and eighth on the grass in the Honeymoon in June.
“Our intent was always this race,” D’Amato says. “She’s a ‘run-all-day’ type of filly.”
D’Amato says he didn’t run Circle of Trust in the San Clemente because he felt it was too short for her.
Medoro did run in the San Clemente and finished a troubled third.
“It wasn’t the best of trips but it was a good race to get into her after a few months off,” trainer Peter Eurton says. “She got away slow and got taken back off a slow pace. She lacked racing room had to wait and by then the winner was gone. But she finished great and came out of it in good shape.
“Her two works were probably more than I needed to do,” Eurton continues. “She’s the kind of horse that likes to train.”
Medoro was undefeated after four races going into the San Clemente.
The two invaders for the Del Mar Oaks are based in Maryland and New York.
Whiskey Decision is an Into Mischief filly trained by Arnaud Delacour. She’s won three straight. She broke her maiden by six lengths at Turfway Park in March followed by an entry-level allowance race at Churchill Downs that she won by five lengths. She then shipped into Delaware Park and took the $150,000 Christiana Stakes last month. She’s based and trains at Fair Hill in Maryland.
The other filly flying in for the Oaks is Buchu, a daughter of Justify, who has career earnings exceeding $600,000. She’s run 10 times and won three of them, including the G2 Appalachian at Keeneland this past spring. She hasn’t won since but she did finish second to Pin Up Betty in the G3 Regret at Churchill Downs in June. Her last out was at the Belmont at Aqueduct meet where she ran sixth in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. She’s trained by Philip Bauer.
The 68th running of the G1 Del Mar Oaks is the eighth race on Saturday’s 10-race card. Probable post time is 5:30 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Iscreamuscream (8/5); Circle of Trust (Reylu Gutierrez, 6-1); Whiskey Decision (Umberto Rispoli, 5/2); Zona Verde (Juan Hernandez, 8-1); Buchu (Martin Garcia, 12-1); Medoro (Antonio Fresu, 5-1); Sakura Blossom (Armando Ayuso, 20-1) and Sea Dancer (Diego Herrera, 20-1).
DAVID HOFMANS TO BE HONORED TODAY AT DEL MAR
Del Mar will pay tribute to the late trainer David Hofmans prior to today’s seventh race. There will be a ceremony in the winner’s circle accompanied by a presentation on the video board.
Hofmans trainer horses for 49 years and won more than a thousand races and compiled over $50 million in earnings. He won the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Alphabet Soup, the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with Adoration, the Santa Anita Handicap with Melatonin and the Belmont Stakes in 1997 with Touch Gold.
Hofmans was also the vice president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, one of the groups today’s feature race is named after. On the front page of the CTT website they have posted high praise for the likeable trainer.
“The loss of David Hofmans not only leaves our organization bereft, but it also deprives our entire sport of the dignity, good humor, vast experience and professionalism he brought to it.
“Any recitation of his numerous wins and accomplishments at all levels of racing couldn’t possibly convey the respect his fellow trainers and his clients will always have for him. He was an exemplar of horsemanship, judgement and the heritage of all the best qualities of racing and humanity.”
Hofmans passed away last month at the age of 81.
HANDICAPPING SEMINARS THIS WEEKEND AT DEL MAR
Del Mar offers a series of handicapping seminars this weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer meet, top handicappers will offer their expertise prior to the races. The sessions are free on the patio of the Hacienda Room alongside the Plaza de Mexico behind the grandstand, west of the paddock.
On Saturday, host Frank Scatoni will have handicapper Jackson Muniz as his guest. On Sunday, Dan Smith and handicapper Ed Wilson will lend their insights into the races. The seminars start at 1 p.m. and last 30-to-35 minutes.
BREEDERS’ CUP TUMBLER GIVEAWAY
Paid admission comes with something extra on Saturday, August 17 as Del Mar gives away 2024 Breeders’ Cup Tumblers, while supplies last. The 12-ounce stainless steel tumbler is dual sided to keep your drink at the optimum temperature, hot or cold. It comes with the ‘Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar’ emblem on it and can be picked up at the point of entrance into the track.
COOLING OUT: A familiar face will be riding at Del Mar this weekend, if for only one day and one race. Jockey Martin Garcia is named to ride Buchu in the G1 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday. Garcia, the filly’s regular rider, is based in Kentucky. He rode at Del Mar for several summers and won the Pacific Classic aboard Game on Dude in 2013 and then again on Collected in 2017…Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux notched his first win of the summer meet, taking the sixth race Thursday aboard Here Comes Braylon for trainer Todd Fincher. For Desormeaux, that’s career win number 6,137… Notable works for Friday: Dirt – Formidable Man (4f, :49.40); Adare Manor (5f, 1:02.80); Prince of Monaco (5f, 1:00.80); Senor Buscador (5f, :59.20) and Express Train (6f, 1:13.00).