I'm A Chatterbox loud and clear in Rachel Alexandra
It took just over a minute and 44 seconds on a cloudy Saturday afternoon at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for Fletcher and Carolyn Gray’s Larry Jones-trained I’m a Chatterbox to go from talented locally based stakes winner to serious Kentucky Oaks contender when winning the Grade III $175,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes.
Unlike on Jan. 17, when she broke from the rail and skimmed it to a flashy gate-to-wire romp in the Listed $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes, on Saturday afternoon the daughter of Munnings broke from the outside post 10, was forced to take back while as far astern as last-place at the half-mile pole under jockey Florent Geroux – yet still outran her competition by 2½ lengths in the end after a four-wide far turn sweep and a resolute stretch drive. An utterly classy performance, she rewarded her backers who sent her off as the tepid 3-1 favorite, gained the admiration of many for displaying such a complex arsenal and thrust herself squarely into the picture for the Kentucky Oaks.
Like a well-planned Larry Jones relay race, Jones-trained and Calumet Farm-owned White Clover set fractions of :23.19 and :46.98 under Jose Riquelme before handing the baton to Brereton C. Jones-owned barnmate Lovely Maria under Kerwin Clark after six furlongs in 1:12.05, who ultimately yielded it to a charging I’m a Chatterbox at the eighth-pole – winning in a time of 1:44.10. The emblazoned chestnut Kentucky-bred earned $105,000 to increase her career total to $228,614, while winning for the third time in her five-race career. Lovely Maria was second by a neck over Charles Fipke’s Forever Unbridled, under Brian Hernandez, Jr., to complete a one-two-three Fair Grounds-based sweep. The winner paid $8.60, $5.40 and $4. Lovely Maria paid $5.80 and $4.40, while Forever Unbridled paid $5.20 to show.
“She just relaxed on her own,” Geroux said. “Coming from the 10-hole, we had to either go, sit very close or take back. When everyone went, I decided to take back and she was relaxing very nicely. I kept an eye on Rafael (Bejarano) on (Angela Renee) and made him stay with horses a little longer and wait a little. Even if he would have come with me head-to-head from the half-mile pole to the finish line, my filly was the best today.”
Jones was equally as pleased. “She overcame the outside post and it will kill you here. She sat well, but she had done that in her first race, so we weren’t too concerned about that. The horse on the outside was setting a good pace, so we knew there was a legitimate pace to close into for her. Lovely Maria worked out a good trip for herself, so we were really happy with all three horses. (I’m a Chatterbox) is awfully game. She has a world of talent.”
Clark was elated with his charge’s performance. “My filly ran her heart out,” he said. “Both fillies were training well coming into this and someone had to win it. It’s a team effort for Larry and these fillies.”
Hernandez was equally as content with his Dallas Stewart-trained mount. “We had a great trip,” he said. “She broke well and our filly was athletic enough to overcome anything in the first turn. She got herself in a good spot and ran hard. It was a really good horse race coming down the lane. She was between two horses and gutted it out. Hopefully we can turn the tables in the (Fair Grounds) Oaks.”
Bejarano, on his Grade I-winning Todd Pletcher ship-in, was not as satisfied. “She wasn’t handling the track in the beginning,” he explained. “She was pretty much swimming and didn’t hold it too much, so I just left her alone and let her feel comfortable. Then, when I saw the winner coming from the outside, I tried to move with (Geroux) and then was clear in the stretch. But, like I said, she wasn’t handling the track. She would have been second otherwise.”
Completing the order of finish for the 34th running of the Rachel Alexandra were morning line favorite Shook Up, West Coast Belle, White Clover, Pleasant Tales, Harbour Island and Freudie Anne.