Santa Anita Stable Notes Monday, May 29, 2023

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN
MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023 —-

THE CHOSEN VRON EYES OPEN COMPANY AFTER THOR’S ECHO WIN
SNOW CHIEF WINNER OLD PAL IS ON THE ASCENT FOR GLATT
ARABIAN KNIGHT, ARABIAN LION WORK ON A DRIZZLY MEMORIAL DAY
RAINBOW 6 MANDATORY PAYOUT STARTS WITH $359,911 CARRYOVER
TOP JOCK HERNANDEZ SCORES A HAT TRICK ON SUNDAY

THE CHOSEN VRON EYES OPEN COMPANY AFTER THOR’S ECHO WIN
Trainer Eric Kruljac reported The Chosen Vron was “in great shape” Monday morning one day after earning his seventh consecutive victory in the Thor’s Echo Stakes for statebreds.
“All is good. He’s a special horse,” Kruljac said when reached by phone.
In the six-furlong Thor’s Echo, The Chosen Vron sat comfortably behind a contested pace under Hector Berrios before rolling to a dominant 5 ½-length win. He paid $3.40 as the popular 3-5 favorite in a four-horse field.
Left in The Chosen Vron’s wake Sunday were runner-up Tigre De Slugo and Brickyard Ride, who himself has been a win-machine for trainer Craig Lewis and owner-breeder Alfred A. Pais.
Brickyard Ride, the 4-5 second choice in the Thor’s Echo, dueled on the lead with longshot Sunrise Journey through fractions of 21.82 and 44.41 seconds before fading in the stretch. Lewis reported Brickyard Ride also appeared no worse for wear Monday morning.
“He’s alright. It just wasn’t his day. What can you do? That’s horse racing,” Lewis said. “Things just didn’t go his way and Eric’s horse is really good. A great horse.”
The Chosen Vron’s winning time was 1:09.58, which earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
A 5-year-old gelding by Vronsky, The Chosen Vron improved to 12-1-2 in 16 starts with $792,678 in earnings. He is campaigned by the partnership of Kruljac, Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thomburgh.
Of The Chosen Vron’s 12 wins, 11 have come against stakes company. His resume includes a pair of graded stakes wins. In 2021 as a 3-year-old, he won the GIII Lazaro Barrera and GIII Affirmed Stakes.
Kruljac called the Thor’s Echo “one of The Chosen Vron’s better performances.” He noted the gelding was given extra time off following his win in the March 19 Sensational Star here and the move paid dividends on Sunday.
“I think the fact we spaced his races really helped. His energy level was off the charts,” Kruljac added.
The Chosen Vron will next head down to Del Mar for its summer meet. Kruljac indicated all options are on the table for his next start.
“If he continues to thrive, we’d certainly entertain running him against open company,” he said. “The Bing Crosby would be an option.”
The GI Bing Crosby at Del Mar will be run July 29 at six furlongs.

SNOW CHIEF WINNER OLD PAL IS ON THE ASCENT FOR GLATT
Old Pal served notice for trainer Mark Glatt Sunday when uncorking a furious rally in the final furlong to win his stakes debut in the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-old statebreds going 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Sent off as the 5-2 second choice, Old Pal raced near the rear of the field while saving ground throughout under Santa Anita leading rider Juan Hernandez. With Clouseau showing the way up front, Old Pal began to steadily improve his position on the second turn. Then when the field reached the stretch, it was “go” time for Old Pal. The Grazen gelding responded, sizzling the final furlong in under 12 seconds to reel in a game Clouseau for trainer Ian Kruljac.
Old Pal crossed the wire in 1:50.14 on a firm course to win by three-quarters of a length. He returned $7.40 as the second choice in the wagering. Boss Sully, the 8-5 favorite who had beaten Old Pal in their most recent start when going a mile, checked in third.
“That was a very good performance,” Glatt said Monday morning. “We’d been looking to see how he’d do with more ground. He got a mile-and-an-eighth yesterday and it looked like he was just warming up. The distance obviously benefited him, but he’s just a quality animal.”
Old Pal is out of the winning English Channel mare Athina Lee. He was bred in California by Ken W. Miles and Sheridan Jones. Old Pal was entered in the 2021 Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings and Horses of All Ages Sale where he was bought by Blinkers On Racing for $160,000. Blinkers On campaigns the colt as part of an extensive ownership group.
Old Pal was making just his fourth start in the Snow Chief, all coming on turf. He was second on debut here sprinting Feb. 18 and five weeks later earned his diploma against statebred maidens when stretched out to a mile. Prior to the Snow Chief, he was third in a statebred allowance at a mile that was won by Boss Sully.
Glatt noted from the Winner’s Circle and again Monday morning the excellent temperament of Old Pal. It has been a key to his success, Glatt added.
“From Day one, the horses that tend to be the better ones they have a bit of class to them with their personality. You can judge kind of how they are going to accept stress. They just have a way about them early on. You don’t know how much ability they have at that point. But usually if they have the right mental frame of mind that’s the first sign of a potentially really good racehorse.”
While there are no immediate plans for Old Pal, Glatt is expecting big things from the colt moving forward.
“I think he’ll get better as he gets older,” Glatt said. “If he can stay on course, he’s probably going to be an even better 4-year-old.
“It was very good. We’d been looking to see how he’d do with more ground. He got a mile-and-an-eighth yesterday and it looked like he was just warming up. The distance obviously benefited him, but he’s just a quality animal.”

ARABIAN KNIGHT, ARABIAN LION WORK ON A DRIZZLY MEMORIAL DAY
Highly regarded 3-year-old Arabian Knight returned to the work tab Monday after more than 11 weeks for trainer Bob Baffert. Also working for Baffert on a chilly and damp Memorial Day morning at Santa Anita were Arabian Lion, winner of the May 20 Sir Barton on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico, and the unraced 2-year-old Mirahmadi, who was a $1,050,000 million auction buy as a yearling.
Arabian Knight worked an easy three furlongs in 37.80 seconds. The son of Uncle Mo has been sidelined since winning the GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 5 ½ lengths on Jan. 28. Arabian Knight is campaigned by Zedan Racing, which purchased the colt or $2.3 million at last year’s OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in Training.
The decision to back off Arabian Knight and await a summer campaign was made following a work on March 9. Owner Amr Zedan said at the time the connections weren’t happy with the work “and we feel it’s in Arabian Knight’s best interest not to rush and allow him more time to develop.”
Arabian Lion, a $600,000 Into Mischief colt also owned by Zedan Racing, worked three furlongs in 36.20. It was his first drill since a dominant four-length win in the Sir Barton. Last week, Baffert said it was possible Arabian Lion could run in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10, which is the final leg of the Triple Crown.
Mirahmadi, who is named after Santa Anita track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, worked from the gate for the first time. He went five furlongs in 1:00.40 in what was his sixth work overall since April 19.
Mirahmadi is out of the graded-stakes winner More Chocolate, by Malibu Moon. He was purchased for seven figures by SF Bloodstock, Starlight Racing and Madaket at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.
In all, there were a combined 155 timed workouts on the main track and training track.

FINISH LINES: Trainer Doug O’Neill Monday morning reported the promising filly Ceiling Crusher was doing well after she dominated Sunday’s Melair Stakes by an astonishing 17 lengths to remain perfect in four starts. DRF’s Brad Free reports she earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure in her Melair romp…Juan Hernandez had three wins Sunday to extend his lead in the Hollywood Meet jockey’s standing. He now has 23 wins at the stand, eight more than runner-up Ramon Vazquez…Trainer Carla Gaines had back-to-back winners Sunday with Tizz A Good Thing ($8.00) in the second race and Big Bet Jafinsafa ($4.40) in the third…Trainer James Cassidy got his first win at the Hollywood Meet with Tropical Terror, who took the nightcap under Hall of Famer Mike Smith and paid $8.60…Jockey Edwin Maldonado has hired Tony Matos as his new agent…Horseplayer Brett Weiner will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Monday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m…As part of Santa Anita’s special Memorial Day card Monday, on-track fans will receive $1 beers and sodas and $2 hot dogs.