The Golden Touch

Hronis Racing continued its hot hand with its private purchases in Southern California with a heart-stopping victory courtesy of Hard Aces (Hard Spun) in the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita Saturday. The 5-year-old raced well off the pace beneath Victor Espinoza in 10th as Big Cazanova (Arg) (Giant’s Causeway) set swift early fractions of :23.37 and :45.90. Asked to pick up the chase on the far turn, the 7-1 chance took the inside route and hit the front in midstretch. Hard Aces appeared home free inside the final sixteenth, but had to hold off one late surge from Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) to prevail by a game nose. The Gold Cup is a ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Hronis brothers and trainer John Sadler have also recently teamed up for victories in the June 13 GI Shoemaker Mile with Talco (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}); and Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the June 20 GII Summer Oaks S. “We didn’t leave the gate very well and just got really far behind, a little too far behind, I thought,” Kosta Hronis said. “But we had good splits, which he needs, and it all worked out. John’s done a great job with him.”

Hard Aces made the first 19 starts of his career for his breeder Dreamchaser Thorobreds and trainer Larry Jones. Second in last December’s Tenacious S. at Fair Grounds, he was purchased privately after posting a breakthrough victory, good for a career-high 104 Beyer Speed Figure, in the Louisiana H. at Fair Grounds Jan. 17. A respectable fourth behind Shared Belief (Candy Ride {Arg}) while making his debut for these connections in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 7, he failed to fire when sixth in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 11. Hard Aces entered off a good third behind Catch a Flight in the GII Californian S. at Santa Anita May 30.

Espinoza has been aboard Hard Aces in all four of his attempts for Sadler. “I think by the half mile pole, I was committed,” Espinoza said. “I already lost ground at the start from being bumped a little by Batti Man; he took me out of the race a little. I decided not to encourage him early and save ground. I thought my best shot was to save ground and get through on the inside and it worked out well. He’s improving. Every race, he’s getting better and better. When he was back east he wasn’t quite there but in his last race he ran good and today he ran great.”

“We got a good trip,” Sadler added. “We were hoping the pace would be there; we saw :45 and change, it looked like there was a lot of speed, but it’s got to come together. Victor did a beautiful job with him. He’s ridden him a few times and he’s not an easy horse to ride. He’s a very difficult horse to ride, so Victor’s gone forward with him for two or three races. He was a good fourth in the Big ‘Cap, then he came back with a good third here and put it all together in the big one today.”

Sadler continued, “We thought the last race was key. He really stepped forward with a strong race right at the end of a mile and eighth and he got some more pace today. The [GI] Pacific Classic [will be next at Del mar Aug. 22]. He’ll stay home and run right in our own back yard at Del Mar.”

Hard Aces’s dam All in With Aces (Quiet American), a winner of three of 23 career starts, produced colts by Proud Citizen in 2012-13; a filly by Divine Park in 2014; and a colt by Creative Cause in 2015.