The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has announced a renaming of one of its Bing Crosby Season stakes. The Cary Grant Stakes, which has been run 11 times during the fall stand starting in 2014, will now be called The Chosen Vron Stakes, honoring the exceptional California-bred runner who retired last year after a sparkling five-year career that saw him win 19 of 25 starts, the majority of them stakes races.
The chestnut gelding by the late sire Vronsky was owned by the partnership of Sondereker Racing, J. Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin and Richard Thornburg. Kruljac also trained the husky speedster who finished his career with $1,709,678 in purses won, placing him in the Top 20 among all California-bred money winners.
Among his major scores were twice winning the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar. He was considered good enough to be entered in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Sprint, where he finished fifth. He also won a series of Cal-bred end-of-season honors, including being named Cal-Bred Horse of the Year in both 2023 and 2024.
Rider Hector I. Berrios was his primary partner, piloting him for his last 17 starts, 14 of which were wins. He additionally won the seven-furlong Cary Grant in both 2022 and 2023.
"He was an exceptional racehorse and it was always an exciting day when he came out to run," said Tom Robbins, Del Mar's executive vice president for racing. "We think it is very fitting that one of our Cal-bred stakes has been renamed in his honor."
The Chosen Vron Stakes will be run on Saturday, November 8 as part of Del Mar's 20 stakes Bing Crosby Season schedule. It will carry a $100,000 purse and be for California-bred runners aged 3 and up.
The Bing Crosby Season opens on Thursday, October 30 and runs through to Sunday, November 30. The Breeders' Cup's 14 major races will be presented during the stand on Friday, October 31 and Saturday, Nov. 1. It will be the fourth time the championship events have been held at Del Mar.
