Del Mar: The Chosen Vron keeps streaking, wins Bing Crosby

Del Mar, Calif.

California-bred The Chosen Vron won one for the home team, shrugging off trouble on the turn to prevail by a head against a field of top sprinters in Saturday’s Grade 1, $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar, a win-and-you’re-in race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

The victory in the six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up extended The Chosen Vron’s winning streak to eight. The first seven were against Cal-breds. This one added Grade 1 winner to his résumé.

Click here for Del Mar entries and results.

It was an emotional triumph for trainer Eric Kruljac, who had gathered his far-flung family for what turned out to be one of the biggest win of his 27-year career.

“Because I had all my family here and everything else, it ranks above Leave Me Alone’s 7 3/4-length win in the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga (in 2005),” he said. “Some of my grandkids are here. All of my kids.”

The Chosen Vron, a 5-year-old gelded son of Vronsky, raced in mid-pack in the full field of 12 and was three wide in the early stages under jockey Hector Berrios. Pacesetter Peaceful Waters carved out fractions of 21.92 and 44.42 seconds.

The crux of the race came entering the turn, where The Chosen Vron was forced to check off heels as he was commencing his rally.

He quickly regained his momentum and reached the front in the upper stretch only to have two menacing rivals, Anarchist and Dr. Schivel, mount a challenge to his outside.

The trio battled to the wire, but The Chosen Vron didn’t give an inch, prevailing by a head over Anarchist with 9-5 favorite Dr. Schivel another head back in third.

The final time for the race was 1:09.24.

Berrios, who had three wins on the card, credited The Chosen Vron’s courage for the victory.

“He won it for me,” when the challengers came rolling up on his outside, Berrios said.

The winner returned $11.00 for a $2 win bet and keyed a $34.80 payoff on a $1 exacta.

Kruljac, who also bred The Chosen Vron under the Tiz Molly Partners banner and co-owns the horse with Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh, credited his foreman Herlindo Garcia for the decision to enter the dominant sprinter in the Cal-bred ranks in the first Grade 1 of his racing career.

“I went back and forth, ... and basically I yielded,” he said. “I was going to wait until later.”

Kruljac said he didn’t realize until after the race that The Chosen Vron wasn’t Breeders’ Cup-nominated but added that he and his co-owners will certainly consider cutting the $100,000 check necessary to correct that oversight.

In running his record to 17: 13-1-2, The Chosen Vron pushed his earnings past the $1 million mark.

Kruljac gave all the credit to his horse as he basked in the limelight in the Del Mar winner’s circle.

“I didn’t get in his way,” he said.