The Chosen Vron (#3 outside) just up by a nose over Kings River Knight (#2 rail) to win $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes under Hector Berrios as the 6-year-old gets his 6th win in a row and 10th Stakes. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Mike Willman/Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.— First by a millimeter, heavily favored The Chosen Vron found a way to get it done in Sunday’s $100,000 Sensational Star Stakes at Santa Anita as he had shown punters looking for a bridge to jump from before the photo finish came down.
Owned in-part and trained by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron nosed out a game Kings River Knight while getting about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course in 1:12.97 under Hector Berrios as the pair posed for their sixth consecutive win in what was The Chosen Vron’s 10th career stakes victory.
The Sensational Star is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses.
Ridden by Flavien Prat, Kings River Knight took the lead from Fast Buck at the half mile pole and these two went head and head for the front approaching the dirt crossing at the top of the lane as The Chosen Vron, who was bothered by an erratic Jack Sixpack, was caught four-deep and about two lengths off the lead.
With Fast Buck falling out of it approaching the furlong pole, Kings River Knight opened up two lengths on Jack Sixpack as both the Chosen Vron and Indian Peak got rolling late. In a thriller, it was The Chosen Vron and Kings River Knight by a head over Indian Peak.
Fresh off a romping 6 ½ length win going a mile on dirt in the statebred Tiznow Stakes Feb. 20, The Chosen Vron was off at 1-5 in a field of five older horses and paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10. (There was $128,123 bet to show on the winner, creating a minus show pool of $27,590).
“I had to wait a bit to assure my position and I went a little wide on the turn, but I knew what I had under me, and we got it done,” said Berrios. “There was a little doubt that we won, but I’m glad we did.”
A 5-year-old gelding by Vronsky out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, The Chosen Vron was bred in California by Tiz Molly partners and is owned by Eric Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, LLC, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.
With today’s win, The Chosen Vron picked up $60,000, increasing his earnings to $732,678.
“I thought we got it by a nostril, a very thin one,” said Kruljac. “Maybe a nasal hair. He came (on) when he needed to. He had a little trouble early and it cost him some momentum (but) he kicked back in. Maybe he likes to scare you, you know?”
Kings River Knight, in his first start for John Sadler, ran a tremendous race at 7-1 and paid $3.40 and $2.20.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez for Peter Miller, Indian Peak made a solid run from off the pace but came a head short at 8-1 and returned $3.20 to show.
Fractions on the race were 22.22, 44.60 and 1:06.96.
Live racing resumes at Santa Anita on Friday with first post time for an eight-race card at 1 p.m.
