The Chosen Vron seeks fifth straight as he goes longer in Tiznow

The comfort of racing against California-breds has led to four consecutive wins for The Chosen Vron since September. The streak has an excellent chance to grow in Monday’s $100,000 Tiznow Stakes for statebreds at a mile at Santa Anita.

“We have the benefit of running in all the Cal-bred races,” trainer Eric Kruljac said. “That’s been a bountiful thing for a while.”

The winning streak includes four stakes – three sprints, including one on turf – and began with a win in the E.B. Johnston Stakes at a mile at Los Alamitos in September.

Even though The Chosen Vron is in the midst of a career-best winning streak, victories are nothing new for the 5-year-old gelding. He has won 9 of 13 starts and earned $612,678 in a career that began on the final week of 2020.

The Chosen Vron won three consecutive starts at 3 at Santa Anita in the spring of 2021, including consecutive Grade 3 races in the Laz Barrera Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs and the Affirmed Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.

The Chosen Vron was rested for nine months from November 2021 to last August while sidelined by injury.

“He beat some real racehorses when he was 3,” Kruljac said. “He’s come back and showed the promise that he did before.”

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The Tiznow Stakes will be The Chosen Vron’s second start of the year. The Chosen Vron won his 2023 debut in the California Cup Sprint at six furlongs on Jan. 7.

The Chosen Vron typically races from a tracking position, but led throughout the California Cup Sprint, holding off a stern challenge from Big City Lights to prevail by a neck.

“That kind of surprised me,” Kruljac said. “I like it if he stalks.”

By Vronsky, The Chosen Vron is co-owned by John Sondereker, Robert Fetkin, Richard Thornburgh, and Kruljac.

The Chosen Vron drew the outside post in the Tiznow Stakes. He is highly likely to follow Leyas Candy, an improving 4-year-old colt who won an allowance race for statebreds at a mile by 6 1/2 lengths on Jan. 7. Leyas Candy closed from fifth in a field of seven in that race, but has set a quick pace in some of his previous starts.

The other runners in the field are the stakes winners Coalinga Road and Finneus, and Club Cal, who was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old in 2020.

Coalinga Road won the Unusual Heat Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 7 for his first stakes win in his 18th start. He closed from fifth in a field of eight to win by a hard-fought neck, ending a seven-race losing streak since March.

Trained by Carla Gaines, Coalinga Road was third to The Chosen Vron in the Cary Grant Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 18 at Del Mar.

Finneus is winless in 12 starts since the Golden State Juvenile in November 2021. Finneus has finished fifth in his last two starts – the Cal Cup Sprint and an allowance race at a mile on Jan. 28.

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