The Chosen Vron likely to skip Woody Stephens Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Chosen Vron became a graded stakes winner for the first time with an impressive stretch run in Saturday’s Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. As of Sunday, there was no immediate urgency to test the lightly raced gelding in a more prominent race later this spring.

Trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac said Sunday that the $175,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for California-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Del Mar on July 30 may be next for The Chosen Vron.

“We’ll keep him fit and happy and let him mature,” Kruljac said. “What a nice little horse. I’m not really tempted to go out of town and run in the Woody Stephens.”

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The Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes is a $400,000 race for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Belmont Park on June 5, on the undercard of the Belmont Stakes program.

The Chosen Vron has progressed rapidly in his first four races, which includes three wins.

By the recently deceased stallion Vronsky, The Chosen Vron won his debut against statebred 2-year-old maidens at 6 3/4 lengths last December at Santa Anita, and was third behind Concert Tour in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 6.

The Chosen Vron won his first stakes in the $152,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for statebreds at 6 1/2 furlongs on April 3 with a trip similar to the style of his win on Saturday. Ridden in the $98,000 Barrera by Umberto Rispoli, The Chosen Vron stalked a fast pacesetter in Laurel River and took the lead in the stretch, drawing away by three lengths.

The Chosen Vron has earned $210,600. Aside from Krulac, the ownership group includes Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker and Richard Thornburgh.

Sondereker owns Kiss Today Goodbye, who won the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles in December and was later seventh in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January and sixth of eight in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 for Kruljac.

Kiss Today Goodbye has resumed training after an early spring vacation and is likely to start at the Del Mar summer meeting, which runs from July 16 to Sept. 6.

“We gave him six weeks off,” Kruljac said. “He’ll have his first breeze in a week or so.”