Horse racing notes: The Chosen Vron will race in 2024
DEL MAR LEADERS
Through Thursday
JOCKEYS / WINS
Juan Hernandez / 10
Flavien Prat / 10Antonio Fresu / 6
Kyle Frey / 5Umberto Rispoli / 5
TRAINERS / WINS
Bob Baffert / 6Philip D’Amato / 6Steve Knapp / 4Peter Miller / 4Three tied / 3
WEEKEND STAKES
DEL MAR
Friday
• $200,000 Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/2 miles (turf)
Saturday
• $200,000 Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles (turf)
Sunday
• $100,000 Grade III Native Diver Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 1 1/8 miles
DOWN THE STRETCH
• Fans of The Chosen Vron will have the opportunity to watch one of their favorites continue to race at age 6. Trainer Eric Kruljac, who’s done a great job handling the Vronsky gelding, announced he’ll be returning in 2024. He’s won 14 of 19 races overall and eight consecutive Cal-bred stakes. “I’ve put the Breeders’ Cup (Sprint) behind me,” Kruljac told Del Mar publicity’s John Charvat of The Chosen Vron’s fifth-place finish. “He was covered up. He might have had a little trouble getting out.”
• Trainer Graham Motion will try to win Friday’s $200,000 Grade II Hollywood Turf Cup for a second time when he sends out Speaking Scout in the 1 1/2-mile marathon with Juan Hernandez aboard. Speaking Scout, a 4-year-old Mr. Speaker gelding, goes into the Turf Cup off a third-place finish in the Grade III John Henry Turf Championship on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita. Motion won the 2011 edition of the Turf Cup with Sanagas when it was run at Hollywood Park. “He was a little unlucky,” Motion said of Speaking Scout’s last race.
• Linda’s Gift, piloted by Tiago Pereira and trained by Richard Mandella, went gate to wire to win the $100,000 Grade III Red Carpet Stakes that kicked off Del Mar’s Turf Festival on Thursday. Pereira nursed the winner, the second choice at 5-2, through slow fractions of 26.00, 51.62 and 1:17.30 en route to a final clocking of 2:17.80 for the 1 3/8 miles over a firm grass course. Linda’s Gift, a 4-year-old Arrogate filly, beat 18-1 longshot Musical Rhapsody by three-quarters of a length.