The Chosen Vron Picks Cal Cup Sprint for Latest Test

The ultra-consistent and versatile California-bred The Chosen Vron , a winner of three straight stakes for trainer Eric Kruljac, will try and keep the good times rolling as the 4-5 favorite in the Jan. 7 $150,000 Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint for state-breds 4-year-olds and up at Santa Anita Park. It is one of five Cal Cup Day stakes races Saturday.

The Chosen Vron was entered Jan. 4 for both the Cal Cup Sprint going six furlongs on dirt and the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic going 1 1/8 miles on turf. The following morning, Kruljac confirmed the 5-year-old Vronsky gelding would go in the Sprint, which sets up an intriguing rematch with the speedy Big City Lights  for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

"I think the sprint is the tougher race on paper, but it's what he's most familiar with," Kruljac said.

Last month at Del Mar, The Chosen Vron and multiple stakes winner Big City Lights squared-off in the restricted Cary Grant Stakes going seven furlongs. Big City Lights showed the way through fractions of :22.29 and :44.78 as the 6-5 second choice, but in the stretch drive, even-money favorite The Chosen Vron surged past the leader under Hector Berrios and won going away by 3 1/4 lengths. 

The Cary Grant was the third-straight win for The Chosen Vron, all in state-bred stakes, and the eighth overall in 12 starts. Previously, The Chosen Vron won the E.B Johnston going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos Race Course Sept. 17 and the California Flag Handicap going about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside course at Santa Anita a month later.

"His versatility and ability to adapt to different situations has just been incredible," Kruljac said.

The current win streak has pushed The Chosen Vron's earnings to $522,678 for an ownership group that includes Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin, and Richard Thornburgh.

"He was amazing," Kruljac said of the gelding's lucrative fall campaign. "Probably the highlight of my career."

Interestingly, The Chosen Vron has never raced the Cal Cup Sprint distance of six furlongs on dirt. He's also never run on an off track, which is possible for Saturday given the heavy rain that has hit Arcadia this week. Kruljac is not particularly concerned with the conditions or distance, noting "He'll be running at the end."

In addition to The Chosen Vron and Big City Lights, the field includes Finneus  , I'll Stand Taller , Resilient , and Tigre Di Slugo .

Unusual Heat

Another stakes on the card is the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Stakes. 

Trainer Dean Pederson's hard-knocking Carmelita's Man  heads a deep and competitive group of nine entrants going 1 1/8 miles on grass.

The Unusual Heat Turf Classic is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for California-bred or -sired older horses.

A 6-year-old gelding by Mucho Macho Man   out of the North Light mare Carmelita, Carmelita's Man had his finest year to date in 2022, winning Santa Anita's one-mile turf Crystal Water Stakes May 28, taking Del Mar's California Dreamin' Stakes at 1 1/16 miles Aug. 6, and then taking an open company allowance at Del Mar going 1 3/8 miles on turf Sept. 2. Most recently fourth going one mile on turf versus open runners in the restricted Lure Stakes Oct. 29, Carmelita's Man banked $264,570 from eight starts last year.

Owned by Larry and Ann Jett, Carmelita's Man has an overall mark of 7-5-1 in 21 starts with earnings of $432,670.

Claimed by trainer Steve Knapp out of a $25,000 win Nov. 5 going one mile on the main track at Santa Anita three starts back, Doc Adams  attended the pace en route to a solid 1 1/4-length state-bred allowance win at one mile on turf first off the claim Nov. 19 and was most recently a 2 1/2 length open allowance winner going a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos Dec. 17.

Rounding out the field are Aligato , Bang for Your Buck , Coalinga Road , Kings River Knight , Luvluv , and Royal 'n Rando . 

California Cup Derby

A springboard to superstardom in 2014 for California Chrome, the $200,000 California Cup Derby may also have a star or two in the making as seven California-bred or sired sophomores go 1 1/16 miles.

Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams' Passarando , trained by Steve Specht and fresh off a stirring come-from-behind win versus open company going a mile on a synthetic surface Dec. 3 in the Gold Rush Stakes at Golden Gate Fields, rates top billing.

A gelding by Tamarando   out of the Lucky Pulpit mare I'm Passing Ya Now, Passarando is 4-2-0 in seven starts with earnings of $218,830.

Attentive to the pace throughout, Kirk and Judy Robison's homebred Giver Not a Taker  was a game head winner of the state-bred King Glorious Stakes going one mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 18.

Trainer Peter Miller will also saddle Thirsty John , an impressive first-out maiden winner going 4 1/2 furlongs May 14. Idle since and based at San Luis Rey Downs, Thirsty John, who had been trained by Walther Solis, was bred in California by Terry Lovingier.

Also in the field are Amigo G A , Crypto Ride , Geezer , and Merit Song .

More Stakes Action

There are two other stakes races on the card: the $200,000 Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks and the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint.

Carole Lombard  gets top billing in the former, as it appears Ramon Vazquez, who has ridden trainer Tim Yakteen's Cast Member  to a pair of recent stakes victories on dirt, has chosen the Phil D'Amato-trained Carole Lombard off of her impressive 2 1/4-length maiden score over state-bred fillies at one mile over the Del Mar turf Nov. 20.

She will be challenged by Cast Member, Cholly , Golden Again , Grazed My Heart , Loyal to a Fault , Nyvan , Quickly Park It , and Sell the Dream .

In the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint, Nick Alexander's Alice Marble  should be tough to beat in a field of nine older fillies and mares. 

Most recently third off the bench versus open company in a five-furlong turf allowance at Del Mar Nov. 26, Alice Marble, who was second in last year's Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Sprint, has been no worse than third in nine races with trainer Phil D'Amato—winning four of them.

Completing the field are Bella D , Big Summer , Eddie's New Dream , Kleen Karma , La Deuxieme Etoile , Sunshine Babe , Taming the Tigress , and Tam's Little Angel .

Entries: Unusual Heat Turf Classic S. Presented by City National Bank

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 07, 2023, Race 10

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Aligato (CA)	Flavien Prat	124	Mark Glatt	5/2
2	2Doc Adams (CA)	Ramon A. Vazquez	122	Steve R. Knapp	6/1
98	3The Chosen Vron (CA)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
3	4Coalinga Road (CA)	John R. Velazquez	120	Carla Gaines	5/1
4	5Kings River Knight (CA)	Lanfranco Dettori	122	Andy Mathis	6/1
5	6Bang for Your Buck (CA)	Abel Cedillo	120	Blake R. Heap	15/1
6	7Royal 'n Rando (CA)	Umberto Rispoli	124	Steven Specht	8/1
7	8Carmelita's Man (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Dean Pederson	2/1
8	9Luvluv (CA)	Joe Bravo	122	Adam Kitchingman	15/1

Entries: Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, January 07, 2023, Race 8

• STK
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Carole Lombard (CA)	Ramon A. Vazquez	124	Philip D'Amato	8/1
2	2Golden Again (CA)	Tiago Josue Pereira	124	Steve R. Knapp	20/1
3	3Grazed My Heart (CA)	Hector Isaac Berrios	124	Jeff Mullins	4/1
4	4Cholly (CA)	Lanfranco Dettori	124	Ryan Hanson	6/1
98	5Nyvan (CA)	SCRATCHED	0	UNKNOWN	-
5	6Loyal to a Fault (CA)	Mario Gutierrez	124	Doug F. O'Neill	12/1
6	7Quickly Park It (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Sean McCarthy	8/1
7	8Sell the Dream (CA)	Flavien Prat	124	Brian J. Koriner	2/1
8	9Cast Member (CA)	John R. Velazquez	124	Tim Yakteen	5/2