The Chosen Vron, recently voted California-bred Horse of the Year for a second consecutive year, has been retired. Co-owner John Sondereker and trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac said March 17 that the decision has been made to let the 7-year-old gelding continue his rehabilitation and segue into a second career at the appropriate time.
"It's just wear and tear," Kruljac said of the reasoning behind the decision. "We just don't want to risk any further injury, especially since he's 7. He'll be going up to Katie Fisher's ranch up in Solvang."
The Chosen Vron had been sidelined with an ankle injury since late last year, and Sondereker said that a recent follow-up MRI performed at Santa Anita showed that it had not yet healed enough for the gelding to return to training.
"He's been the horse of a lifetime for all of us," Sondereker said.
Sondereker, Kruljac, Richard Thornburgh, and Robert Fetkin bred The Chosen Vron in the name of Tiz Molly Partners, and the four have raced him throughout his career.
"We came to the conclusion that continued training and racing would not be beneficial to the horse at this time," Sondereker said. "We owe so much to that horse, and he owes us nothing."
The journey to The Chosen Vron began when the partners raced his dam, the Tiz Wonderful mare Tiz Molly, as part of the Class Racing partnership. Upon Tiz Molly's retirement from racing, Thornburgh's wife, Ly, suggested that they keep her and breed her.
As Richard related at the recent California Thoroughbred Breeders Association awards banquet, he told his wife, "We don't know anything about breeding horses. Let me talk to Eric. We need somebody who knows what they're doing to be our partner at least."
Sondereker, Thornburgh, and Fetkin have frequently credited Kruljac with much of The Chosen Vron's success, beginning with the trainer's selection of Vronsky as a stallion.
"He's just done a phenomenal job getting this horse ready for every one of his races," Fetkin said at the banquet.
Making his first start late in his 2-year-old season in 2020, The Chosen Vron put together a consistent record that encompassed 18 stakes victories, including a string of eight stakes wins in 2022-23 and six more from 2023-24. He won back-to-back editions of the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, both with Hector Berrios aboard, as well as the 2021 Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) and Affirmed Stakes (G3) and 2024 San Carlos Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita.
With total earnings of $1,709,678, The Chosen Vron ranks 19th on the list of all-time leading Cal-bred earners. He has earned six other Cal-bred championships in addition to being named Horse of the Year in 2023 and 2024: champion 3-year-old male of 2021, champion older male from 2022-24, and champion sprinter in 2023-24.
Sondereker said that The Chosen Vron would soon be sent to Kingfisher Farms, which began as a layup facility and now also breeds, raises, and sales prep horses.
"She's going to rehab him," said Sondereker, adding that Fisher will help find a suitable second career for The Chosen Vron, possibly as a therapy horse. "Katie runs a great operation. I'm just thrilled that he's going to be there."
Kruljac said that The Chosen Vron has been a barn favorite and that he will miss the gelding.
"He's such a sweet horse to be around," Kruljac said. "It's been a great ride."
