Chatalas punched her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup with a front-running victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Chandelier S. (G2) at Santa Anita Park. The 2-year-old filly was one of two graded stakes winners on the day for Gun Runner, coming less than 30 minutes before Locked won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.
Gun Runner is the runaway leader on the 2023 Third-Crop Sire list with 10 graded stakes winners, three Grade 1 winners, and nearly $14 million in progeny earnings to date.
Chatalas took the lead right out of the gate of the 1 1/16-mile Chandelier, changing tactic from her two prior outings. She was closely pressed by Dua for nearly all of the race, until midstretch, when she began to pull clear. Chatalas hit the wire 1 ½-lengths in front of Scalable, who closed late to nab the place spot.
The victory earned Chatalas a guaranteed spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) next month at Santa Anita.
“We’ve always thought the further she went the better she would be,” said trainer Mark Glatt. “A little disappointed with the Debutante (4th at Del Mar on Sep. 10) 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 is owned by her breeder Dan Agnew and Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners.
“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,” said Agnew. “On to the Breeders’ Cup. We hope that she comes out well and we are looking forward to it.”
Chatalas has won two of three starts and earned $187,200.
Pedigree Notes from the TDN
Gun Runner had four graded stakes entries Saturday. 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.
