Cal-Bred The Chosen Vron To Race In 2024

The Chosen Vron's (Vronsky) story will continue in 2024. Trainer Eric Kruljac will bring the 5-year old gelding back for another year he announced Thursday. The gelding started an eight-race win streak at Los Alamitos in September of 2022 which ended with his fifth-place finish in this year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“I've put the Breeders' Cup behind me,” said Kruljac. “He was kind of covered up. He might have had a little trouble getting out. I think he was behind a couple of horses and when they took off he didn't have his customary kick. I think he was a few lengths better, a few numbers faster than some of his races but that comes with the competition. I think possibly he felt like he was surrounded.”

Kruljac began entertaining thoughts of running The Chosen Vron back on just two weeks rest in the Cary Grant S. after looking at the upcoming stakes schedule.

“I looked forward two or three months and it's going to be a long time before the next Cal-bred race,” he says. “Another two months without running and we just did that. So I did something I've never done and let him run. We pulled blood and Dr. Araujo urged me to go ahead.”

The Chosen Vron returned to keep his win streak in Cal-bred races alive. He's now won 15 races in his career and Kruljac said after the Cary Grant win that it ranked right up there with the Bing Crosby.

“He's been unreal,” Kruljac noted after the race. “Coming back in two weeks. I was a little nervous but the horse was so lively. Maybe we'll just let him roll early from now on.”

It's that energy and that effort that has Kruljac looking forward to 2024.

“Early in his career he had problems, he was slow in developing,” Kruljac recalls. “We had to give him some time, let him grow up. But since, he's been stone cold sound. Three or four days after the Breeders' Cup he was jumping around playing and his coat was gleaming. He's always been happy training. Always been into the bit and still is. What a blessing this horse is.”