Chatalas Carries the Torch for her Dam Indian Safari

That “first chance” took place in March 2014 when Indian Safari debuted as a 3-year-old at Santa Anita, seizing control early from the inside post and then drawing off in the stretch to post a 3 1/4-length victory in the six-furlong maiden test. Unfortunately a pelvis injury would not allow her to race again, but she was able to be moved to the broodmare band of her co-owner Dan Agnew.

Indian Safari, a daughter of Indian Charlie, would excel in her new role, producing winners from each of her first five starters. That fifth starter, Chatalas, a 2-year-old daughter by Gun Runner  , is the most accomplished to date as the winner of the Chandelier Stakes (G2) Oct. 7 at Santa Anita. Chatalas is campaigned by Agnew, along with partners Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, and her namesake William Chatalas.

Like Indian Safari, Chatalas is conditioned by Mark Glatt, who on a crisp morning at Santa Anita Nov. 1 recalled the promise Indian Safari displayed.

“She won her debut very, very easily,” Glatt recalled. “She was going to be quite a race horse herself. She unfortunately only ran the one time and ended up with a pelvic injury to where she wasn’t able to make it back to the races.”

Chatalas was raised at Bruce Gibbs’ Greenfield Farm near Lexington. Glatt said Gibbs saw potential in the filly from early on and passed that assessment on to Agnew.

“Bruce was very high on this filly all along and he advised Dan to keep this one and not sell her,” Glatt said. “He most certainly was right. She’s done everything perfect for us.”

While her dam didn’t debut until age 3, Chatalas made it to the track July 30 this year, where she raced just off the pace and wore down the leader in the stretch to post a half-length victory in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race at Del Mar. Stretched out to seven furlongs in her second start, the Del Mar Debutante (G1) on Sept. 9, Chatalas found herself between horses while again pressing the pace early but this time she faded a bit late and finished fourth, 12 3/4 lengths behind likely Juvenile Fillies favorite Tamara .

After that setback, Chatalas bounced right back with a front-end score in the Chandelier—drawing off to post a clear victory in that 1 1/16-mile test. In posting such an impressive win in her first try at two turns and posting that victory on the track that will host Saturday’s Juvenile Fillies, Chatalas punched her ticket to the Juvenile Fillies.

“It certainly was her best race,” Glatt said. “She passed the two-turn test. We always thought she would be at her best when she got going a little further. So she passed that test. She was a bit disappointing, we felt, in the Debutante so it was good to see her after breaking her maiden in her first start to bounce back once she had a little more ground. At two turns, she was able to slow down early.”

The Juvenile Fillies is contested at that same 1 1/16-mile distance at the Chandelier. Chatalas, listed at 8-1 on the morning-line, is scheduled to start from post six with jockey Antonio Fresu aboard.