Santa Anita Park Picks | Thor's Echo Stakes 2024

Star sprinter The Chosen Vron will try for his 17th stakes win Saturday when he defends his title in the $100,000 Thor’s Echo Stakes at six furlongs on California Gold Rush Day at Santa Anita Park.

First post time for a 10-race card on California Gold Rush Day is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

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Trained and co-owned by Eric Kruljac, The Chosen Vron made it four-straight wins April 27 when beating open company in the listed Kona Gold Stakes going 6 ½ furlongs here April 27. In 13 starts dating to September 2022, The Chosen Vron’s only loss came in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint when fifth at Santa Anita.

The Chosen Vron will have regular rider Hector Berrios in the irons. A 6-year-old gelding by Vronsky, he is 22: 17-1-2 with $1,359,678 in earnings. Kruljac co-owns The Chosen Vron with Sondereker Racing LLC, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburgh.

While back in with statebreds, this won’t necessarily be a layup for The Chosen Vron.

Among his rivals is Big City Lights, who is coming off his first graded stakes win in the GIII Palos Verdes going six furlongs Feb. 10 at Santa Anita.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Big City Lights has finished second to The Chosen Vron in four previous stakes efforts, twice in 2022 and twice more last year. However, in their last matchup at Santa Anita, which came in last year’s California Cup Sprint in January, Big City Lights was only beaten a neck.

A 5-year-old horse by Mr. Big, Big City Lights is 9: 5-4-0 with $392,420 in earnings for owner William R. Peeples. He will be ridden by Juan Hernandez..

California Tiger makes his stakes debut for trainer Hector Palma. The 4-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding exits a win in a first-level allowance for statebreds going 6 ½ furlongs May 11 at Santa Anita.

California Tiger is 11: 3-3-1 with $119,120 in earnings for Palma’s Royalty Stables and co-owner Dolores Riggio. He will be ridden by Antonio Fresu.