The fields for the 14 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup World Championships actually start to return into focus in summer time and fall. This common function will provide a snapshot profile of one of many earlier weekend’s standout stars, often a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Problem Collection winner, and exploring their possibilities to win a focused race Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.
Final weekend, arguably top-of-the-line sprinters within the historical past of California racing reeled off his sixth win in a row and 14th in his final 15 begins. The Chosen Vron solidified his credentials as a number one contender for the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Dash and earned a starting-gate spot in that $1 million race with a repeat victory within the $400,000, Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.
Accomplishments: After competing primarily in stakes races restricted to California-breds via the center of 2023, The Chosen Vron broke via and garnered nationwide consideration with a gritty head victory over Anarchist within the Bing Crosby final summer time. Coach Eric Kruljac determined to forego a further begin previous to the 2023 Qatar Racing BC Dash at Santa Anita Park and The Chosen Vron ran evenly to complete fifth of eight starters in his first take a look at towards the very best sprinters nationwide.
Since then, he’s been good, profitable six stakes races from November 2023 to final Saturday. Three of the stakes have come towards California-breds, however the different three have been towards open firm – a one-length win within the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes Introduced by FanDuel TV at Santa Anita in March, a three-quarter size triumph within the listed Kona Gold Stakes in April, additionally at Santa Anita, after which his decisive win within the Bing Crosby.
On this yr’s Crosby, The Chosen Vron raced three- and four-wide early on and stored that place via the flip earlier than taking up at will on the prime of the lane beneath common jockey Hector Berrios and settling issues with a burst of pace, profitable by 2 ¼ lengths and ending six furlongs in 1:08.99. He simply defeated West Coast-based graded stakes winners Anarchist (fifth) and Completely happy Jack (sixth) and was not threatened by runner-up Closethegame Sugar, who had shipped to Southern California from Kentucky after impressively profitable two dash stakes at Churchill Downs.
Merely put, The Chosen Vron has nothing left to show inside the California dash division. The ready sport thus begins for an additional shot on the Breeders’ Cup Dash, which shall be held at Del Mar on Nov. 2. The Chosen Vron is 4-for-6 racing on Del Mar’s dust monitor, and has an ideal operating fashion for dash races as he’s versatile sufficient to take the lead from the outset if that’s what the tempo state of affairs requires, or sit simply off of the early pace and pounce at simply the suitable time. The gelding is 14-for-16 paired with Hector Berrios, who additionally rides The Chosen Vron in exercises and clearly has a particular relationship along with his mount.
Velocity Figures: The Chosen Vron earned a career-high Equibase Velocity Determine of 121 within the 2024 Bing Crosby, leaping up from a 103 he earned in his prior race, the Thor’s Echo Stakes towards Cal-breds in late Could, and a 115 within the Kona Gold previous to that. He additionally tallied a career-best Beyer Velocity Determine of 105 within the Bing Crosby, up from a 90 and 102 within the aforementioned races. For comparability’s sake, The Chosen Vron earned an ESF of 113 and a Beyer of 96 within the 2023 Bing Crosby. He’s higher than ever proper now at age 6 and his present pace figures put him proper in competition with the historic normal within the Breeders’ Cup Dash.
Trying Forward: Yesterday, Eric Kruljac informed Every day Racing Kind’s Steve Anderson that he had made a mistake in 2023 by easing up a bit on The Chosen Vron’s coaching between his 2023 Bing Crosby win and his begin within the Qatar Racing BC Dash, stating that “I’m going to be a bit of extra aggressive than final yr, I backed off of ‘Vron’ greater than I ought to have.” He left open the likelihood that the fan favourite would make one begin in between his July 27 Bing blowout and the BC Dash a bit of over three months from now, which could possibly be within the Grade 2 Santa Anita Dash Championship Sept. 29.
Even when he doesn’t have another prep and trains as much as one other attempt within the Dash, The Chosen Vron must be thought of a essential win menace come November. He’s in peak kind and like final yr can have a “dwelling subject” benefit over most of his opponents within the World Championships. Maybe most significantly, Elite Energy, the reigning back-to-back champion sprinter who received 9 of his last ten races together with two BC Sprints, is now having fun with life as a stallion at Juddmonte Farms in Kentucky (2023 Qatar BC Dash runner-up and twin Grade 1 winner Gunite has additionally transitioned to a stud profession). All of those causes make The Chosen One a particular “purchase” as a possible Breeders’ Cup Dash victor, which if completed would definitely cinch an Eclipse Award for his connections as properly.
