Indian Charlie (March 27, 1995 – December 15, 2011) was an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse who won the 1998
Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of . It is one of t ...
, equaling the stakes record time, before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby in his final start. He is best known as an important sire of
Champions, and his son
Uncle Mo was the leading freshman sire of 2015.
Racing career
Indian Charlie won his first four races, including a length victory over Real Quiet in the
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of . It is one of t ...
, equaling the stakes record of 1:47 flat. He started at odds of 5/2 for the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
, in which he finished third to
Real Quiet
Real Quiet (March 7, 1995 – September 27, 2010) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer due to his narrow frame. He is best remembered for winning the first two legs of American Triple ...
. He was rested after the Derby and missed the
Preakness and
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...
. He was being prepared for a return to racing in the
Haskell Invitational in August when he pulled a
suspensory ligament during training at
Del Mar Racetrack
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...
and was retired from racing.
Stud record
Indian Charlie entered stud at Vinery in Central Kentucky for a $10,000 fee. As a freshman sire in 2002, he ranked in the top 10 by progeny earnings and was represented by one stakes winner. As a second-crop sire, he stayed in the top 10 by earnings but still needed that breakout runner.
[
Indian Charlie stood at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Kentucky where his stud fee for 2011 was set at $70,000. To date he has sired four champions:
* ]Fleet Indian
Fleet Indian (March 8, 2001 – October 1, 2011) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named American Champion Older Female Horse at the 2006 Eclipse Awards, an honor she is best known for.
Background
The dark bay Fleet Ind ...
, American Champion Older Female Horse (2006) multiple Grade 1 winner of $1.7 million
* Indian Blessing, won 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving ...
(2007), American Champion Female Sprint Horse (2008), earned $2,995,420
* Indian Apple Is, 2010 Canadian Champion Female Sprint Horse
* Uncle Mo, won 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup W ...
, American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.
The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...
. Leading freshman sire of 2015
Among his other notable progeny, Indian Charlie is the sire of multiple stakes winners A. P. Indian, Conveyance, Bwana Charlie, Indian Firewater, Iindyanne, Mr. Nightlinger, My Pal Charlie, Pampered Princess, Roxy Gap, Two Trail Sioux, Zada Belle, as well as 2011 Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Anthony's Cross and Jerome Stakes winner Adios Charlie.
Indian Charlie is the grandsire (through Uncle Mo) of Nyquist, American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.
The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...
and winner of the 2016 Kentucky Derby.
For his career, Indian Charlie sired 83 black-type winners (8% from named foals of racing age) that included 29 graded/group winners and eight champions. His stud fee would climb to $75,000 by 2009 and his sales yearling average to more than $136,000.
As a broodmare sire, he's been represented by 15 stakes-producing daughters whose progeny have earned more than $31 million. From all his daughters, he has been represented by 93 black-type winners that include 31 graded/group winners and six champions. Hot Rod Charlie, as of November 1, 2022 is Indian Charlie's leading earner as a broodmare sire with $5,556,720 in lifetime earnings.[
Recently Indian Charlie is known for being the damsire of Flightline, considered by many to be the greatest horse since Secretariat, through his daughter Feathered.
Indian Charlie was euthanized at Airdrie Stud on December 15, 2011. The sixteen-year-old had been battling cancer.]
Pedigree
Indian Charlie has single-handedly revived the Caro sire line that is a branch from Nasrullah through English classic-placed stakes winner Grey Sovereign. The path to this revival began with Soviet Sojourn, a daughter of Leo Castelli that Earnhardt bought as a yearling for $14,000 at the 1990 Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Fall Sale from Double D Thoroughbred Farms.
References
{{reflist
Indian Charlie's pedigree and partial racing stats
1995 racehorse births
2011 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in California
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 21-a