The Chosen Vron, a two-time California-bred Horse of the Year, has been officially retired. Co-owner John Sondereker and trainer/co-owner Eric Kruljac confirmed on March 17 that the seven-year-old gelding would not return to racing. Instead, he will continue his rehabilitation and transition to a second career when the time is right. Kruljac cited natural wear and tear as the main reason for retirement, emphasizing that they did not want to risk further injury. The Chosen Vron will be sent to Katie Fisher's ranch in Solvang to recover fully.

The gelding had been sidelined with an ankle injury since late last year, and a recent MRI at Santa Anita showed it had not healed enough for a return to training. Sondereker and his fellow co-owners—Kruljac, Richard Thornburgh, and Robert Fetkin—decided it was in The Chosen Vron's best interest to step away from competition. Bred by the group under the Tiz Molly Partners name, he became the horse of a lifetime for them. His journey began with the partnership racing his dam, Tiz Molly, before deciding to breed her. Thornburgh initially hesitated, admitting they lacked breeding knowledge, but Kruljac played a crucial role in guiding them, including selecting Vronsky as the sire.

The Chosen Vron enjoyed a stellar career, making his debut in late 2020 and securing 18 stakes victories. His achievements included back-to-back wins in the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), as well as multiple graded stakes wins at Santa Anita. With career earnings of $1,709,678, he ranks 19th among all-time leading California-bred earners. In addition to his two Horse of the Year titles, he earned six other Cal-bred championships. He will now move to Kingfisher Farms, where Fisher will oversee his rehabilitation and help determine a suitable second career, possibly as a therapy horse. Kruljac reflected on the gelding’s impact, calling him a barn favorite and expressing how much he will be missed.

 Image Del Mar/Benoit