Del Mar: The Chosen Vron streaks to 2nd Bing Crosby win
The Chosen Vron made it look easy Saturday at Del Mar, accelerating through the turn en route to about a three-length victory in the Grade 1, $400,000 Bing Crosby Stakes, the second year in a row the sprint star has won the six-furlong race.
It was the sixth consecutive win for the 6-year-old Vronsky gelding owned by Sondereker Racing, Robert Fetkin, Richard Thornburgh and his trainer Eric Kruljac. The Chosen Vron (3-2) has finished first in 14 of his last 15 races with the only loss coming in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Saturday’s victory qualified him to try again in that race, which will be contested Nov. 2 over the same course and distance as the Bing Crosby.
Click here for Del Mar entries and results.
Ridden four wide in a line of leaders up the backstretch of the fast main track, The Chosen Vron (3-2) flipped the switch when he was asked by his regular jockey Héctor Berrios. By the time the field turned for home, he had all but put away his first Grade 1 test of 2024.
“I didn’t say anything to Héctor. I have that much faith in him,” Kruljac said. “He (Berrios) got out and had him in the thick of it. When it was time to move his hands, the rest was history. The other horses tried to keep up with him. He just wouldn’t let them. It’s one of his best races.”
Early leader Closethegame Sugar (3-1) finished second, Jackstown (5-2) closed from mid-pack to take third, and See Through It (57-1) rallied to come in fourth in the field of seven 3-year-olds and up. Anarchist (10-1), Happy Jack (4-1) and Giant Game (55-1) completed the finish in that order.
The winning time was 1:08.99, the fastest Bing Crosby in six years, after early fractions of 22.73 and 45.36 seconds.
“It’s a Grade 1,” Berrios said. “You don’t always win these. It pays to have a good, healthy horse. I hope he continues for Breeders’ Cup.”
The Chosen Vron returned $5.00, $2.80 and $2.10; Closethegame Sugar $3.20 and $2.80; and Jackstown $3.00.
Now 24: 19-1-2, The Chosen Vron earned $240,000 on Saturday and ran his career total to $1,659,678.