Sir Vronski thriving at Golden Gate Fields

With 19 victories, Sir Vronski is the winningest horse stabled at Golden Gate Fields, and he’s done it in just 33 starts.

He’s also the most versatile. Sir Vronski has won 13 of 21 sprints and six of 12 routes, including nine of 13 races on GGF’s Tapeta Footings synthetic surface, six of 12 on turf and four of eight on dirt.

The 7-year-old gelding seeks his 20th win in Saturday’s third race — a $32,000 claimer going 6 furlongs on the Tapeta.

“The first thing is, he’s a horse that loves to train,” trainer Quinn Howey said. “Willing and enthusiastic. It makes it easier to spend time on him and try to teach him things. Some horses are set in their ways and resent trying to change them.”

Sir Vronski had won four of 11 starts when Howey and owner Allen Aldrich first claimed him for $12,500 out of a victory Nov. 1, 2015. Sir Vronski won for an $18,000 price four weeks later and was claimed, only to have the claim voided.

“Nowadays they jog for the vet (state veterinarian) after a claim, and the vet didn’t like the way he jogged,” Howey said.

After a 3½-month break, Howey dropped him to $12,500, and Sir Vronski won and was claimed. Four months later he ran for a $3,200 tag, and Howey and Aldrich took him back.

“There was no hesitation,” Howey said. “I was pretty coy with a lot of people who asked if I was going to re-claim him. If people knew I was going back in for him, there would have been a lot more claims. The claiming game is kind of like poker; you don’t want to show your hand.”

In Sir Vronski’s two stints with Howey and Aldrich, he has won 13 of 20 starts, earned $153,472 and climbed the class ladder so high that he finished second in a $62,500 claimer in his most recent race April 27.

“Part of it is based on when he’s ready to run and finding races that fill that he’s eligible for,” Howey said. “We let him dictate when he’s ready to run. It makes it easier that we can run him anywhere. It’s pretty amazing that he’s been able to do all these different things.”

Sir Vronski also is fun to have around the barn.

“He’s one of those horses that has a lot of personality,” Howey said. “If he sees anybody coming down the shedrow, he nickers. He either wants you to pet him or get him a carrot. He’s always in a good mood. To top that off with how he performs, it’s really easy to like him. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime horse.”