Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, May 9, 2021

By Ed Golden —-

STABLE NOTES BY ED GOLDEN
SUNDAY, MAY 9, 2021

ESPINOZA SPLITS WITH AGENT BRIAN BEACH
STAR STALLION VRONSKY GOES OUT ON TOP
SADLER PONDERS PAIR FOR DESERT STORMER

ESPINOZA ENDS STORYBOOK RUN WITH AGENT

Victor Espinoza and Brian Beach, who reached pinnacles in racing others can only dream about, have parted company.

The Hall of Fame jockey and his agent of eight years went their separate ways Saturday morning after Espinoza informed Beach he is eager for more business which the 58-year-old agent, through no fault of his own, presently is limited in generating.

Through Saturday, Espinoza had only 37 mounts this meet, winning four races with five seconds and seven thirds, good for purse earnings of $365,844.

“It’s tough; it’s not easy,” said Espinoza, who turns 49 on May 23. “We had great success together and we were a good team. I missed a lot of time because of injuries and the pandemic, but now I’m healthy and want to win more races.”

Beach has been unable to beat the backstretch bushes on a regular basis to drum up business as most agents do since he primarily is focused on resolving health issues for his wife, Lotta, in Idaho, from where he has been commuting when possible.

Lotta has been coping with a multitude of lingering ailments stemming from a horse accident more than three years ago, in March of 2018.

“I understand Brian’s situation but I’m back and my goal right now is to win as many races as I can,” Espinoza said.

Before the split, Espinoza and Beach enjoyed a wild ride.

A member of the Hall of Fame since 2017, Espinoza burst onto the international scene with Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem in 2002 and again with two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome seven years ago. He then swept the Triple Crown on American Pharoah a year later, thus becoming a global celebrity appearing on “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Tonight Show,” with lucrative commercial offers his for the taking.

Among his honors are Santa Anita’s George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, three ESPY’s as best jockey and three Kentucky Derby victories.

Espinoza overcame a career-threatening neck injury during a workout spill at Del Mar on July 22, 2018 and miraculously resumed riding seven months later.

“Victor wants someone at the track every day and I’ve got family concerns that don’t allow me to be there every day,” explained Beach, an agent since 1990. “I moved to Idaho in January to benefit my wife’s health more than anything else.

“We already owned a place there (in a town called Worley, about an hour southeast of Coeur d’Alene), and I needed to provide an atmosphere that was more conducive to her recovery.

“I was traveling back and forth every week until the pandemic hit. That closed us down for a while and when we did open up, agents weren’t allowed on the grounds and we were doing (post position) draws via conference calls.

“It wasn’t planned that way but it was working out. Things began to loosen up over time, so now everybody’s kind of back to normal but I still haven’t been able to be there on a fulltime basis because I have family health concerns to worry about.

“Right now, Victor’s business is not in great shape and he wants to see if it will improve if he’s got an agent at the track in person every day.

“We’ve had a great eight years, and I think if he hadn’t had the accident in 2018, we’d still be going strong. But that was so serious, and when he did come back, Santa Anita was shut down for a while, there was a lot of rain and it all prevented us from regaining our business.

“We were just getting going again last summer towards the end of the Big Meet at Santa Anita when the pandemic hit, so it’s been kind of an unfortunate way to end it.

“But we’ve had tremendous success together. Winning the Triple Crown is as big as it gets in this game and something not many agents ever experience, plus two Kentucky Derby wins, a Dubai World Cup, a Breeders Cup Classic—the biggest races out there and we’ve won ‘em all.

“It’s been a great run.”

THE CHOSEN VRON STEPS UP IN LAZARO BARRERA

The Chosen Vron seeks his first victory against open company this Saturday in the Grade III Lazaro Barrera Stakes for three-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.

The Chosen Vron worked four furlongs yesterday in 48.40.

“It’s a big step up going against open company, but he’s earned it,” said trainer Eric Kruljac, who owns a share of the chestnut gelding with several partners.

The Chosen Vron, a son of the late stallion Vronsky, overcame trouble to win the Echo Eddie Stakes against California-breds by 1 ¼ lengths as the 3-5 favorite on April 3.

“He sure had a rough trip last time,” Kruljac said. “He was bumped at the start and bumped at the eighth pole. Hopefully he’ll move forward a little bit and he’ll probably have to with these.”

The Chosen Vron won his debut race against state-breds by nearly seven lengths last Dec. 27, then pressed the pace against Preakness-bound Concert Tour in the Grade II San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 6 before his victory in the Echo Eddie.

Vronsky had an untimely demise when he died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 22 after successfully covering a mare on April 29 at Harris Farms where the son of Danzig was a top-12 California sire for the last seven years.

From 14 crops of racing age, Vronsky sired 151 winners and 12 black-type winners, among them What a View, winner of the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile in 2016, Grade II winner Norvsky and Grade III winner Poshky. Through May 2 his runners had amassed more than $15.87 million in earnings and averaged $72,478 per runner.

SADLER CONSIDERS TWO FOR DESERT STORMER

John Sadler has two versatile horses nominated to this Sunday’s Grade III Desert Stormer Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at six furlongs and is weighing options for each.

They are Bruja Escarlata, an undefeated four-year-old daughter of Street Boss owned by Kosta and Peter Hronis, and Five Pics Please, a three-year-old daughter of the Indian Charlie stallion Cinco Charlie owned by Desert Sun Stables.

“Each has shown good form on both dirt and turf,” the trainer said, “but I’m not sure right now who will run. Bruja Escarlata won all three of her starts impressively, one on grass, and Five Pics Please just got beat (at 9-1) in a Grade III on turf (the Sweet Life on Feb. 14), so we have choices for them.”

Five Pics Please worked four furlongs this morning in 48.60.

As to Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, who was sandwiched at the start of the Kentucky Derby losing all chance, Sadler said the son of Candy Ride has been back with him at Santa Anita for just under a week and is expected to return to work soon.

Sadler added that Rock Your World’s next race is uncertain, but the Belmont Stakes on June 5 is under consideration.

FINISH LINES: There were 176 recorded workouts at Santa Anita this morning, 30 on the training track . . . Santa Anita is dark for live racing Monday through Thursday. Live racing resumes 1 p.m. Friday, May 14…Jockey Juan Hernandez tripled on Saturday, with his big win coming aboard the Leonard Powell-trained Neige Blanche, who took the marathon Grade III Santa Barbara Stakes by a nose.

LATEST CONTENT FROM XBTV:

FEATURES:

Preview of Race 3

Preview of Race 5

Preview of Race 7

WORKOUTS:

Code of Law (Hofmans) 05-08-21

Ce Ce (Outside) and Rushie (McCarthy) 05-08-21

The Chosen Vron (Kruljac) 05-08-21

Glendora Minecat (Outside) and Plum Sexy (O’Neill) 05-08-21

As Time Goes By (Outside) and Leading Score (Baffert) 05-08-21

Rombauer (Outside) and The Stiff (McCarthy) 05-08-21

Royal Ship (Mandella) 05-07-21

Eight Rings (Outside) and Illumination (Baffert) 05-07-21

Bellize (Drysdale) 05-07-21

Soothsay (Inside) and Charlito (Mandella) 05-06-21

Union Train (Outside) and Noble Union (Shirreffs) 05-05-21

Golden Journey (Outside) and Little Bird (Baltas) 05-05-21

Scotish Star (Mandella) 05-05-21

Majestic Eagle (Drysdale) 05-05-21

Wedding Groom (Blacker) 05-03-21

Lansdowne (Outside) and Red King (D’Amato) 05-03-21

Leggs Galore (D’Amato) 05-03-21

Law Abidin Citizen (Glatt) 05-03-21

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