Te Chosen Vron’s Afrmed

© BENOIT PHOTO

Cal-bred The Chosen Vron scores in Santa Anita’s Affrmed Stakes, his frst two-turn start

BY TRACY GANTZ

Since April, California-bred Te Chosen Vron has been collecting stakes victories once a month. He made it three in a row in the $100,000 Afrmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita June 13.

Te Afrmed also ofered Te Chosen Vron the opportunity to demonstrate whether he could go two turns. He proved it in the gamest fashion, running down a horse with a seemingly impossible lead.

Named for the 1978 Triple Crown winner based in California, the Afrmed is uniquely positioned on the calendar. Scheduled after all of the Triple Crown events, it gives later-developing 3-yearolds a chance to shine. At 11⁄16 miles on the dirt, the stakes follows the 61⁄2 -furlong Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3), named for Afrmed’s Hall of Fame trainer. And the Afrmed sits at the end of the Santa Anita meeting and before Del Mar begins, where many of the graded 3-year-old stakes are on the turf.

Te Chosen Vron, of course, has even more options because as a Cal-bred he can also compete in Golden State Stakes races. Eric Kruljac, who trains Te Chosen Vron for himself and co-owners Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker, and Richard Tornburgh, is keeping that in mind.

Five lined up for the Afrmed. Te Chosen Vron went of as the 8-5 second choice behind 7-5 Classier, a Bob Baffert-trained son of Empire Maker who cost $775,000 and broke his maiden by four lengths last fall.

Classier stumbled slightly when the gate opened, and it was the “other Bafert” who posed the biggest threat. Defunded, the third choice, had fnished fourth in the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) for Bafert, and he battled with Jimmy Irish on the front end early in the Affrmed. Umberto Rispoli on Te Chosen Vron settled his mount into last.

Early on Te Chosen Vron raced about fve lengths behind fourth-place Mr. Impossible. Down the backstretch Te Chosen Vron began inching up on the rail, passing Mr. Impossible.

Jimmy Irish tired on the second turn, and Rispoli angled out Te Chosen Vron to challenge the two Bafert trainees. Te Chosen Vron was able to catch and pass Classier fairly easily, but Defunded had an ominous four-length lead in the stretch.

Te Chosen Vron responded to Rispoli’s urging to poke his head in front at the sixteenth pole, drawing away to score by 11⁄4 lengths in 1:44.01. Classier fnished third.

“He’s a small horse, but he’s got a big heart,” said Rispoli.

Te four owners bred Te Chosen Vron in the name of Tiz Molly partners. Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful, is the dam of Te Chosen Vron, who is by Vronsky. Te Chosen Vron added the Afrmed to wins in the Barrera and Echo Eddie Stakes. He also fnished third in the San Vicente Stakes (G2), his only loss in fve starts.

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