The Chosen Vron catches no breaks in Real Good Deal Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. – Although The Chosen Vron won graded stakes in his last two starts, his trainer and co-owner, Eric Kruljac, makes no apologies for using his California-bred status for “trying to find the easiest spot with a reasonable amount of money.”
Which brings us to the Real Good Deal, the feature Friday at Del Mar. The money is certainly reasonable, $175,000. And, in theory, a return to California-bred company makes The Chosen Vron a heavy favorite against the six other 3-year-olds entered against him.
But, “I expected it to be an easier spot,” Kruljac said.
Atomic Drop and Top Harbor come off performances in which they earned Beyer Speed Figures of 90, equaling The Chosen Vron’s career best. Letsgetlucky benefits from a significant post switch compared to when he faced The Chosen Vron in April in the Echo Eddie at Santa Anita. Plus, The Chosen Vron must extricate himself from the rail in the seven-furlong race.
So, the Real Good Deal, race 6 on an eight-race card that begins at 4 p.m. Pacific, is far more intriguing than it might appear at first glance.
“This can happen, that can happen,” Kruljac said. “If he gets a clean trip, hopefully he can get the job done. Before the draw, I said, ‘Please don’t draw the rail.’ That’s one of my concerns.”
As is Found My Ball, who starts from post 2 and is a notoriously bad gate horse.
“A couple of times he’s leaned in,” Kruljac said of his neighbor. “Hopefully, we can avoid that.”
The Chosen Vron is in terrific form. A winner of 4 of 5 starts, he won the Grade 3 Laz Barrera going seven furlongs and the Grade 3 Affirmed going 1 1/16 miles in his last two starts, both with Umberto Rispoli, who rides back. The second- and third-place finishers in the Affirmed came back to run one-two in the Los Alamitos Derby.
Atomic Drop, who disappointed in his first three starts, freaked last time, romping against maidens over a track that promoted his front-running style.
Top Harbor, never worse than second in four sprints, is extremely intriguing. He comes off a terrific second-place finish in the Oak Tree Sprint Stakes at Pleasanton against the multiple stakes-winning older horse Law Abidin Citizen. Now he drops into statebred company and faces 3-year-olds only, and his late-running style should suit the expected pace scenario.
“He ran well,” Tim McCanna, who trains Top Harbor, said of the Pleasanton race. “I was really happy with his race. It’s good spacing to this race, and he doesn’t have to face older horses.”
Letsgetlucky should be part of a lively pace. Freshened since May, he was third to The Chosen Vron in the Echo Eddie while starting from post 2 in a field of nine; he had to gun from there. This time, he’s drawn in post 5. He returns as a gelding.
“It helped him lighten up a bit,” said his trainer, Brian Koriner, who also sends out Touchdown Brown. “He was an obnoxious boy. He’s calmed down.”
None Above the Law cuts back after four straight route races.