Exotics Plays for the 2023 Bing Crosby Stakes

An excellent and sizable field of 12 sprinters will go six panels on the Del Mar dirt in Saturday’s $400,000 Bing Crosby S. (G1). I have a hard time settling on just a single contender in the outstanding cast and will spread with a few entrants on my tickets.

Eric Kruljac’s #4 The Chosen Vron has been well handled throughout his career and seems to be destined to be a Grade 1 victor. By Vronsky, the five-year-old is 12-for-16 in his career and has won seven straight races dating back to September. The gelding has been doing his work against fellow California-bred foes as of late, but the chestnut is a class act and also earned a career-best 104 Brisnet Speed figure for a stakes victory on the oval in November, too. The Chosen Vron has the speed to stay in touch early, as well as the closing kick to run them down late. Regular pilot Hector Berrios retains the mount.

#7 Anarchist finished a clear second behind the mighty Elite Power in the True North S. (G2) at Belmont Park in his most recent assignment. By Distorted Humor, the peaking four-year-old has been first or second in each of his last seven races to date, and although he often settles for minor awards, the talented colt is still an obvious exotics inclusion at a fair price with Ramon Vazquez taking the reins.

#11 Dr. Schivel was arguably not ready to face the cast in the Met Mile S. (G1) last time out in his second run off of an extended layoff, but the Mark Glatt trainee looks to be a very good fit on this occasion. The winner of the race in 2021, Dr. Schivel dons a fine 4-3-1-0 mark at Del Mar and will be fit following a handful of solid morning drills leading up to his local return. The Violence five-year-old will stalk the contested pace from the opening bell.

The Amador Sanchez-trained #3 Todo Fino could be the inside pace of the field and will have excellent value in the dash. This six-year-old dark bay chased lone speed when ultimately third in the Smile Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream in his latest outing, and the Chilean import will take a big step forward in his second run since October. He put in a swift half-mile drill on this course recently and will have Edwin Maldonado in the silks.

Bing Crosby Exotics

$3 exacta box: 3,4,7,11 ($36)

$.50-cent trifecta: 3,4,7,11 with 3,4,7,11 with 2,3,4,7,9,10,11 ($36)

$.10-cent superfecta: 3,4,7,11 with 3,4,7,11 with 3,4,7,11 with all ($21.60)