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The flashy chestnut The Chosen Vron moved forward early, then accelerated late as is his style and came away a two and three-quarter length winner of the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar, capturing his 14th victory in his 19th start in yet another display of his exceptional ability.

The 5-year-old gelding by the late sire Vronsky earned a check for $57,000 and pushed his career bankroll to $1,149,678 for running seven furlongs in a quick 1:21.22. Rider Hector Berrios won his ninth stakes on the horse, who is owned by the partnership of Sondereker Racing, J. Eric Kruljac (his trainer), Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh. Kruljac conditions the horse.

“He was running good today,” said Berrios.”I didn’t know if I was going to be on the lead, but I was good either way. Is this the best horse I’ve ever ridden? ‘YES!’ Is he fun to ride? ‘YES!’”

“He’s been unreal,” said an admiring Kruljac. “Coming back in two weeks is something I’ve never done. I was a little nervous but he came back so well and so fast from Breeders’ Cup. The horse was so lively today maybe we’ll just let him roll early from now on. Once he started widening I felt pretty certain. What a blessing this horse is.”

Finishing second in the Cal-bred feature was William Peeples’ Big City Lights, who has now run second to The Chosen Vron in his last four starts. Running third four and a quarter lengths back was R L Stables’ Moose Mitchell.

The Chosen Vron, a stout 1/ 2 favorite, returned $3.00 to his backers.

In his previous two outings, the winner had run fifth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on November 4, after proving best in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 29. He also had won the Cary Grant last year.

Courtesy of Del Mar (November 12, 2023) – Smolich or Smolich’s Chancery Way proved too quick for six rivals Sunday at Del Mar in the 28th edition of the Betty Grable Stakes scooting to a three and three-quarter length triumph in the seven-panel affair.

The $100,500 test was for California-bred fillies and mares and the winner is a 4-year-old daughter of one of the state’s top sires – Mr. Big. She covered the distance in front all the way and finished up in 1:22.43.

Finishing second was the race favorite, Nick Alexander’s Rose Dawson, while third – just a neck behind – was Alexander’s Carmen Miranda.

The winner was ridden by Antonio Fresu and trained by Jamey Thomas, a Northern California-based conditioner who was taking his first stakes at the shore oval. She returned $7.80 to win to her backers.

“I didn’t know anything about this filly before I rode her today, but I went back and looked at film of some of her races,” said Fresu. “I could see she had speed and it looked like she could finish well. I thought the seven furlongs would be a good distance for her. When we turned for home, she really went. It all worked out well.”

“She broke sharp and Antonio (Fresu) put her on the lead like we thought we’d be and it worked out perfect for us,” said Thomas. “She’s been training really good and so we thought ‘she’s ready to roll let’s find us a race’ and this happened to be the one.”

Chancery Way earned a first prize of $57,000 to increase her lifetime bankroll to $270,770. Her tally was her sixth in 11 total starts.

Courtesy of Santa Anita Park Arcadia, CA (Nov. 5, 2023) – With a hot pace to run at, California-bred Closing Remarks rallied from far back to take Sunday’s Closing day co-feature at Santa Anita, the Grade II, $200,000 Goldikova Stakes, getting one mile on turf in 1:32.69. Trained by Carla Gaines and ridden by Juan Hernandez, the 5-year-old mare by Vronsky was up to win by a half length over favored Queen Goddess.

As expected, Irish-bred Hamwood Flier went to the front out of the gate and enjoyed a two length advantage over Queen Goddess around the Club House turn. Heading up the backside, Closing Remarks had one horse beat while about seven off the lead.

Heading to the far turn, Hernandez opted to sit chilly as Lucky Girl rallied from last to her outside but Closing Remarks would soon be into gear three-deep turning for home and rolled late to easily reel in the favorite well inside the sixteenth pole.

Owned and bred in California by Harris Farms, Inc., Closing Remarks, a three-time graded stakes winner who was most recently fourth going a mile and one quarter on turf in the Grade II Rodeo Drive here on Oct. 7, was off at 5-1 in a field of six fillies and mares three and up and paid $13.60, $4.20 and $2.60.

Out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, Closing Remarks now has five overall stakes wins and is 7-5-4 from 24 career starts. With today’s winner’s share of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $999,320.

Queen Goddess, idle since third in the Grade I Gamely Stakes here on May 29, overtook Hamwood Flier a furlong out but was no match for the winner late. Off at even money under Luis Saez, Queen Goddess returned $3.00 and $2.40.

Hamwood Flier, ridden by Flavien Prat, held off eastern shipped Full Count Felicia by a head and paid $3.40 to show while off at 4-1.

Santa Anita’s leading rider through 18 racing days, Hernandez notched his league-leading seventh stakes win and his 24th overall victory.

Fractions on the race were 22.67, 45.38, 1:08.38 and 1:20.42.

Arcadia, CA (October 21, 2023) – Overcoming some early race greenness, Harris Farms’ homebred On the Whim gave hope for a promising future, running down the favorite in his career debut to win the 5th race on the Santa Anita card, a six and one-half furlong maiden special weight over the firm turf course.

The 3-year-old son of Acclamation was away in good order, but the main track crossover offered a challenge for the inexperience youngster. Once past that and refocused, On the Whim went after the leader, who was zipping along in uncontested fashion. He had closed the gap at the top of the stretch and he flew past his competition completing six furlongs in 1:08.12. He continued to stride out to the wire to win by two and one-quarter lengths in a final time of 1:14.20, not far off the track mark of 1:13.70.

On the Whim is trained Dean Pederson. He is out of the Maria’s Mon mare, Whimsy. He enjoyed getting his picture taken from the start.

Courtesy of Santa Anita Park ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 15, 2023)—A winner of three out of his last four starts coming in, John Sadler’s talented 5-year-old gelding Kings River Knight rallied powerfully under Juan Hernandez to take Sunday’s $100,000 California Flag Handicap by 1 ½ lengths as he got about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course in 1:10.75.

The California Flag is part of the lucrative CTBA-sponsored Golden State Series for eligible California-bred or sired horses.

As expected, highly accomplished stakes winner Brickyard Ride went to the front out of the gate, leading by a half length over Sadler’s other entrant, Lil Nass, to the dirt crossing at the top of the stretch. From there, heavily favored Kings River Knight loomed menacingly four-deep and wrested control from Brickyard Ride a furlong out.

“This horse is getting better every race,” said Hernandez. “Today, he broke really sharp but a couple of those other horses are faster early so I just let him see what was going on and let him breathe in the early part of the race. When we crossed the dirt, I picked him up and he responded back to me. Crossing the dirt was no problem and when we got back on the grass, he switched leads and opened up.”

Second, beaten a nose in his only other hillside try, the statebred Sensational Star Stakes five starts back on March 19, Kings River Knight was most recently a facile two length winner versus statebreds going one mile on dirt in the EB Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos Sept. 16.

Off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds and up today, Kings River Knight paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10.

Owned by Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, LLC, The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth Tevelde, Kings River Knight, a 5-year-old gelding by Acclamation who was unraced until June of his 4-year-old year, bagged his fourth statebred stakes win and improved his overall mark to 13-7-5-0.

Bred in California by the Johnston family’s Old English Rancho, Kings River Knight is out of the Poteen mare Seasontoperfection. With the winner’s share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $426,010.

“He’s been almost dominant in this division this year,” said Sadler. “A lovely horse. It brings wonderful memories. Buddy Johnston was my neighbor (here at Santa Anita) for 25 or 30 years, so it’s good to see those silks still going.”

Far back early, Johnny Podres rallied nicely for the place under Kyle Frey. Off at 20-1, he paid $9.20 and $4.60.

None Above the Law was last early, weaved his way through traffic the final furlong, but couldn’t go with Johnny Podres late, finishing third by 1 ¾ lengths over Brickyard Ride. The third choice in the tote at 5-1 with Joe Bravo up, None Above the Law paid $2.80 to show.

Fractions on the race were 20.97, 42.95 and 1:05.06.