Gun Runner's Chatalas Breeders' Cup-Bound after Chandelier

Chatalas | Horsephotos

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Rancho Temescal Thoroughbreds and Dan Agnew's Chatalas (f, 2, Gun Runner–Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie), fourth last month behind ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) in the GI Del Mar Debutante, looks like she'll get another shot at that rival after winning the GII Chandelier S. at Santa Anita Saturday and earning a 'Win and You're In' berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Co-owner Agnew also bred the filly.

“Cloud nine, now that would describe it,” said Agnew. “Especially with a homebred like this, it is a great thrill and Mark [Glatt]'s done a great job with the filly. The man that was on the farm said, 'This is one I think you ought to keep and I think he was right.' I think the way Gun Runner has proven a great sire to both fillies and colts was a big reason I decided to keep her and race her. On to the Breeders' Cup. We hope that she comes out well and we are looking forward to it.”

Chatalas broke from the inside in the Chandelier with running on her mind. She immediately secured the front and was quickly joined by Bob Baffert's GIII Sorrento S. third-place finisher Dua (Arrogate), but Antonio Fresu up on the winner was relaxed and riding high in the saddle. The pair moved comfortably through early fractions of :23.69 and :47.97, continuing to hold Dua at bay by a half-length. Fresu threw a few crosses coming off the turn, encouraged Chatalas a few times with the stick, and the race was quickly put to bed. The bay left Dua behind as she strode powerfully to the wire. Meanwhile, Todd Pletcher maiden shipper Scalable (Speightstown) commenced a rally and caught Dua but there was no catching Chatalas, who had plenty left to hold off the late challenge.

“We've always thought the further she went the better she would be,” said Glatt. “A little disappointed with the Debutante performance, but I look back on it and she was fairly close to :44 fractions and that's just not her. We knew she would have pretty good speed going two turns and she did kind of everything her own way. She broke sharp and had a relatively comfortable lead. Fresu rode her great.”

Chatalas debuted July 30 with a victory at Del Mar sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. Her 74 Beyer Speed Figure that day was second-best in this field behind Laurent (Practical Joke)'s 78 when second in the same Debutante Chatalas in which finished fourth. Laurent was the favorite Saturday in the Chandelier, but chased wide and finished ninth.

Pedigree Notes:

Not bad for an afternoon's work. Three Chimneys super sire Gun Runner had four graded stakes entries Friday. Two won and all four hit the board. About 45 minutes before Chatalas won the Chandelier, his Wicked Halo was a nose second in the GII Thoroughbred Club of America S. at Keeneland. Earlier in the afternoon, his Life Talk had been third in the GI Frizette S. at Belmont at Aqueduct, and moments after the Chandelier, his 'TDN Rising Star' Locked won the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. Such is a Saturday afternoon in the rarefied air of Gun Runner's world. Interestingly, Locked, Life Talk, and Wicked Halo all hail from A.P. Indy broodmare sire lines, but Chatalas is out of an Indian Charlie mare. Chatalas is the 101st stakes winner out of a daughter of Indian Charlie and is one of 23 black-type winners by Gun Runner. A member of his third crop, Chatalas is one of 17 graded winners for Gun Runner.

Indian Safari, the dam of Chatalas, has a yearling filly by Bernardini who was a $225,000 purchase by Repole Stable out of the recent Keeneland September yearling sale. Her 2023 Liam's Map filly was foaled Apr. 12 and she was bred back to that sire for next term. Fleetwood Bloodstock purchased Indian Safari on behalf of Agnew for $130,000 while carrying her first foal, a Union Rags filly, at the 2015 Keeneland November sale.

Saturday, Santa Anita
CHANDELIER S.-GII, $202,000, Santa Anita, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.28, ft.
1–CHATALAS, 122, f, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie
                2nd Dam: Hopes and Dreams, by More Than Ready
                3rd Dam: Nokia, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Rancho
Temescal Thoroughbred Partners and Dan J. Agnew; B-Dan
Agnew (KY); T-Mark Glatt; J-Antonio Fresu. $120,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-0-0, $187,200.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Scalable, 122, f, 2, Speightstown–Passion Flower, by Tapit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($200,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Dua, 122, f, 2, Arrogate–Attempt to Name, by Consolidator.
($400,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.;
B-Wynnstay INC, Donna Moore & Jim Richardson (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, NK, 3/4. Odds: 3.10, 8.90, 5.20.
Also Ran: Pacific Rose, Gate to Paradise, Autumn Chill, Motet, Pink Whitney, Laurent. Scratched: Next Right Thing.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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