Kiss Today Goodbye starts long day for Kruljac in TAA Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – A long Saturday for California trainer Eric Kruljac begins with a long race.

Seven hours before he runs The Chosen Vron in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Kruljac will start Kiss Today Goodbye in the first race Saturday at Santa Anita. At 1 5/8 miles on dirt, the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is the longest race of the autumn meet.

It also is the earliest race Saturday on a 12-race card that includes nine Breeders’ Cup races.

Post time for the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is 10:10 a.m. Pacific. Post time for the BC Sprint, race 11 in which The Chosen Vron is a leading contender, is 5 p.m.

“We have our fingers crossed, it would be my biggest win,” Kruljac said.

First things first. The Chosen Vron might be Kruljac’s best horse, but Grade 2 winner Kiss Today Goodbye is the most unusual.

“He’s the quirkiest horse I’ve ever trained. He’ll just quit in the middle of a race,” Kruljac said. “You have to ride him every step of the way.”

It’s a long way in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, a 13-furlong race Kiss Today Goodbye is qualified to win based on his runner-up finish last out in a Grade 3 dirt marathon at Santa Anita. Notwithstanding the local form of Kiss Today Goodbye, the most likely winner is a European shipper running on dirt for the first time.

Siskany has won 8 of 20 racing on turf and synthetic, in five countries including the United States. A 5-year-old gelding, Siskany won the two-mile Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup two starts back on turf at Belmont Park, followed by a third in a Group 1 grass race in Germany. It was not just any German Group 1.

The 1 1/2-mile Preis von Europa was unfamiliar to many U.S. handicappers until a year ago. Rebel’s Romance won the Preis von Europa and followed with a decisive victory in the 2022 BC Turf for the same connections as Siskany – trained by Charlie Appleby, owned and bred by Godolphin.

William Buick rides Siskany, the 8-5 program favorite in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. In addition to Kiss Today Goodbye, the field includes graded-placed Win the Day in his third start back from a layoff. Salesman is making his fourth U.S. start, and first on the Santa Anita dirt surface he has trained exceptionally well on throughout the year.

Time for Trouble and Serifos also entered. If the race is won by the best horse, Siskany will add to career earnings nearing seven figures. Racing in England, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and the United States, international traveler Siskany has earned $988,664.

By contrast, Kiss Today Goodbye has won three races and $387,802 from 23 starts, mostly in California, and rarely in marathons. The 6-year-old horse is owned by Sondereker Racing.

Kruljac was asked if he had ever won a six-furlong sprint and a marathon on the same card.

“No, but I did win the Hasta La Vista Handicap at Turf Paradise,” Kruljac said, laughing. Without Doubt won the 1 7/8-mile Hasta La Vista in 2002.

Kiss Today Goodbye has a new rider Saturday. Victor Espinoza replaces Hector Berrios, who can stay fresh for his main BC Sprint mount a lot later. Berrios rides The Chosen Vron.