San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
THE CHOSEN VRON KEEPS ROLLING IN CARY GRANT
The Chosen Vron (right), ridden by jockey Hector Berrios, scores an easy win over four rivals in the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar. The 5-year-old gelding won the same race a year ago.
The Chosen Vron is not a superstar horse.
But the 5-year-old gelding is a winner, a great investment and one of the most popular horses this year at Del Mar.
With regular rider Hector Berrios aboard, the son of Vronsky scored an impressive 23⁄4-length win Saturday over Big City Lights in the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes — a seven-furlong race on the dirt for older California-bred horses.
The win was the ninth in the last 10 starts for The Chosen Vron — and the 14th in 19 career starts, including last year’s Cary Grant. A horse that cost $3,500 in stud fees has now earned $1.15 million.
Before running fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint two weeks ago, The Chosen Vron had won eight straight races capped by a victory in the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes — a victory that earned The Chosen Vron the top Sprinter award for Del Mar’s summer meeting.
Berrios called the horse “the best I’ve ever ridden” while trainer Eric Kruljac called the run “unreal.”
“What a blessing this horse is,” said Kruljac. “Coming back in two weeks is something I’ve never done. I was a little nervous but he came back so well and so fast from the Breeders’ Cup. He was lively today … maybe we’ll just let him roll early from now on.”
“He was running good today,” said Berrios of his ninth win on The Chosen Vron. “I didn’t know if I was going to be on the lead, but I was good either way. He’s fun to ride.”
The Chosen Vron went off as a 1-2 favorite and also drew approximately 80 percent of the show pool. He paid $3, $2.20 and $2.10 and completed the distance in a rapid 1:21.22.
Baffert wins another
Juan Hernandez rallied Nothing Like You from four lengths back at the top of the stretch to win the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-yearold fillies. Royal Slipper, the 2-5 favorite who shipped in from Kentucky, finished third after leading most the race.
Nothing Like You’s victory in the Desi Arnaz Stakes set up a possible double stakes weekend for trainer Bob Baffert, who has three of the five 2-year-olds entered in today’s $100,000 Grade III Bob Hope Stakes.
A daughter of Malibu Moon, Nothing Like You ($11.40) caught Tambo at the wire in 1:23.03 for the sevenfurlong Arnaz.
“I saw the opening fractions and thought Royal Slipper was gone,” said Baffert. “Then we came running, although I thought there was too much ground to make up. And I wasn’t sure at the wire.”
“I thought we won it, but I wasn’t 100 percent,” said Hernandez. “Nothing Like You is a really big filly, which had to help her there. Bob didn’t give me any instructions. He had two horses in there (Nothing Like You and Halone) and told (Flavien) Prat and me that we were ‘on our own.’ Bob always gives you confidence. His horses are ready.”
Baffert has morning-line favorite Nysos (Prat), Wine Me Up (Ramon Vazquez) and Mission Beach (Hernandez) ready for today’s seven-furlong Bob Hope.
Nysos, a son of Nyquist, won his debut by 10 lengths Oct. 21 at Santa Anita. Mission
Beach won his debut Aug. 5 at Del Mar, then ran fifth in the Grade I Hopeful Stakes on Sept. 4 at Saratoga. After winning his debut Sept. 2 at Del Mar, Wine Me Up ran second in the Grade I American Pharoah on Oct. 7 at Santa Anita and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 3.
Other races
Hernandez scored three wins Saturday with Adelie ($7 in the first race), Nothing Like You and Give Me the Lute ($4 in the ninth-race finale) to move into second in the jockey standings.
Book Smart ($9.40) scored his second sprint win in six days under Edwin Maldonado for trainer Bob Hess Jr. His win last Sunday was by six lengths on the dirt. Saturday’s was five lengths on the turf.
Other Saturday winners — Third race: Neon Lights (Prat, $5); Fourth race:
Asian Matriarch (Antonio Fresu, $8.80); Fifth race:
Marks Hip (Kyle Frey, $14.40); Sixth race: Stay on the Fence (Mario Gutierrez, $12).
NHL SCOREBOARD
7 5 4 4
W8 6 6 5
W6 5 5 3
W6 5 4 2 2 5 5 5
L3 3 3 5
L3 4 5 6
L3 5 5 8 0 0 0 0
T0 0 0 0
T0 0 0 0
T0 0 0 0 .778 .500 .444 .444
Pct. .727 .667 .667 .500
Pct. .667 .556 .500 .333
Pct. .667 .500 .444 .200 208 172 196 239
PF 304 214 156 202
PF 196 217 242 154
PF 285 262 144 141 143 205 248 215
PA 177 170 182 226
PA 190 192 248 180
PA 225 184 172 238
NATIONAL CONFERENCE W L T Pct. PF PA 5-1-0 3-3-0 2-4-0 2-3-0
AFC 5-3-0 4-2-0 4-2-0 1-5-0
AFC 4-2-0 3-2-0 4-3-0 2-4-0
AFC 4-2-0 2-5-0 2-4-0 2-4-0 2-1-0 2-2-0 2-1-0 2-2-0
NFC 3-0-0 2-1-0 2-1-0 4-0-0
NFC 2-1-0 2-2-0 1-2-0 1-2-0
NFC 2-1-0 3-0-0 2-1-0 0-4-0
Div. 2-1-0 1-1-0 1-2-0 1-1-0
Div. 3-2-0 2-2-0 2-0-0 0-3-0
Div. 2-1-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 0-1-0
Div. 2-1-0 1-2-0 1-1-0 2-2-0
RAIDERS (5-5) AT DOLPHINS (6-3)
Today: 10 a.m., Ch. 8
Line: Dolphins by 131 ⁄2
Series record: Raiders lead 21-19-1
Outlook: The Raiders are 2-0 with Antonio Pierce as interim head coach, but Las Vegas is facing a huge jump in class today. After beating the two New Jersey teams, Pierce & Co. travel to play the league’s total offense leaders in Miami, where the Dolphins haven’t lost this season . ... Miami RB Raheem Mostert leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns, a career high, and his 13 total touchdowns are tied with San Francisco’s Christian Mccaffrey for the most in the NFL. He’ll be going against a Raiders defense that has allowed teams to rush for at least 100 yards in each of its past four games . ... Raiders RB Josh Jacobs ended a 14-game drought without a 100-yard rushing game by gaining 116 last week against the Jets. … Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill leads the NFL in yards (1,076), receiving touchdowns (eight) and plays of at least 40 yards (seven). … A victory would make QB Aidan O’connell the third Raiders quarterback to win three of his first four career starts. The others were Ken Stabler and Mike Rae. … The Dolphins, who haven’t won the division since 2008, currently have a 11 ⁄2-game cushion over the Buffalo Bills (5-5) for the AFC East lead.
COWBOYS (6-3) AT PANTHERS (1-8)
Today: 10 a.m
Line: Cowboys by 101 ⁄2
Series record: Cowboys lead 10-5
Outlook: QB Bryce Young has thrown for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, and the team is waiting for his breakout game. That has yet to come and it’s unlikely it will come this week against a Dallas defense that is allowing just 166 yards passing per game, the second fewest in the league . ... Cowboys WR Ceedee Lamb has 51 receptions for 617 yards and three touchdowns in the past four games. He needs 25 yards for his third straight 1,000-yard season. The only Dallas receiver to get to 1,000 yards faster was Michael Irvin in nine games in 1995 . ... Dallas QB Dak Prescott can set a franchise record with a fourth consecutive 300-yard game . ... Panthers head coach Frank Reich will retake control of play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Thomas Brown . ... The Panthers went from averaging 294.7 yards, 20.7 first downs and 16.3 points per game in six games with Reich calling plays to 237.3 yards, 16.3 first downs and 11.3 points per game in three games with Brown calling the shots . ... Carolina has scored just two offensive touchdowns in the past 12 quarters.
BEARS (3-7) AT LIONS (7-2)
Today: 10 a.m.
Line: Lions by 71 ⁄2
Series record: Bears lead 104-77-5
Outlook: QB Justin Fields is set to return after missing the past four games because of a dislocated right thumb. The rest of the season could go a long way toward determining his future with the Bears’ decision on his fifth-year option for 2025 looming . ... Former Bears RB David Montgomery is the first Detroit player with 350-plus yards rushing and five scores in a four-game span since Hall of Famer Barry Sanders in 1997. He has two TD runs of 40-plus yards, becoming the first player to do that for the franchise since Sanders in 1998 . ... The Bears have matched their win total from last season when they finished with a leagueworst 3-14 record and set a franchise mark for losses . ... Chicago hasn’t won consecutive games since beating Seattle and the New York Giants in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2021 season . ... The Lions, who haven’t won a division title since 1993, lead the NFC North with their best record through nine games since 2014.
GIANTS (2-8) AT COMMANDERS (4-6)
Today: 10 a.m
Line: Washington by 91 ⁄2
Series record: Giants lead 107-71-5
Outlook: The Commanders have gone all-in on a pass-heavy approach under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in the name of featuring QB Sam Howell and seeing if the 2022 fifthround pick is the organization’s future at the position . ... Howell leads the league with 2,783 yards passing and 264 completions. Over the past four games, he has thrown 183 passes with the Commanders running the ball just 78 times . ... The Giants have lost three straight since beating Washington last month. The Commanders have lost six of eight since starting 2-0 . ... New York’s offense hasn’t scored a first-quarter touchdown all season, and its 118 points are the fewest in the league . ... Undrafted free agent QB Tommy Devito is set to start again after throwing two touchdowns and an interception in his first NFL start last week.
STEELERS (6-3) AT BROWNS (6-3)
Today: 10 a.m
Line: Browns by 11 ⁄2
Series record: Steelers lead 79-61-1
Outlook: No sooner did they get a huge victory last week in Baltimore did the Browns learn they will be without QB Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season. Watson passed for 235 yards in the Browns’ 26-22 Week 2 loss at Pittsburgh, a game in which Cleveland lost star RB Nick Chubb for the season . ... Rookie Dorian Thompson-robinson, the fifth-round pick from UCLA, will make his second start today, and the Browns hope he’s better prepared than in his NFL debut Oct. 1, when he threw three interceptions in a 28-3 loss to Baltimore . ... One key will be for his offensive tackles to block Pittsburgh edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Both Highsmith (interception return) and Watt (fumble return) scored in the Week 2 matchup . ... Pittsburgh RB Jaylen Warren, an undrafted free agent in his second season, ran for a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win over Green Bay . ... The Steelers were outgained in that game; they are the only team in NFL history to be outgained in each of their first nine games and have a winning record . ... The Steelers have won each of their past nine games decided by eight points or fewer, including six this season . ... Browns K Dustin Hopkins, who only arrived at the end of the exhibition season, leads the league with 24 field goals.
CARDINALS (2-8) AT TEXANS (5-4)
Today: 10 a.m
Line: Texans by 6
Series record: Cardinals lead 3-2
Outlook: Houston QB C.J. Stroud ranks second in the NFL with 2,626 yards passing and has 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He is the second rookie in NFL history with consecutive games with at least 350 yards passing and a 350-yard game today would make him the first rookie to have three in a row. He’ll face a pass defense which ranks 11th in the NFL in allowing just 208.4 yards passing per game after limiting the Falcons to a season-low 70 yards passing last week . ... WR Noah Brown set career highs with seven catches for 172 yards last week for the most yards receiving by a Texan since 2019 . ... Trey Mcbride had the best game of his career in last week’s win, catching eight passes for 131 yards. The second-year player was the first Cardinals tight end to have more than 100 yards receiving since 1989.