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I'm a Chatterbox lives up to talk in Rachel Alexandra

I'm a Chatterbox rallied to win easily (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography) Fletcher and Carolyn Gray's homebred I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings) rallied down the center of the track to capture the $175,000 Rachel Alexandra S. (G3) at Fair Grounds on Saturday by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Florent Geroux. Making just her second start since transferring to Larry Jones' shedrow, the chestnut miss powered home in 1:44 for 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track. "She overcame the outside post (post No. 10) and it will kill you here," Jones said. "She sat well, but she had done that in her first race, so we weren’t too concerned about that. The horse on the inside was setting a good pace, so we knew there was a legitimate pace to close into for her." Stakes debuter White Clover (Exchange Rate) set the pace in the Rachel Alexandra, which was worth 50 points to the winner toward a starting berth in the May 1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. The leader recorded splits of :23 and :46 4/5 while chased by fellow stakes newbie and maiden winner Pleasant Tales (Tale of Ekati) to her outside. Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection) kept in close attendance just off Pleasant Tales' flank and had taken command by the time three-quarters had been run in 1:12 while Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Secret) bided her time just in behind. All the while I'm a Chatterbox was unhurried while running near the rear of the field. The versatile sophomore, who wired her last race, was four wide on both turns but that didn't stop her from rallying upon hitting the stretch. Motoring down the center of the track, she easily wrested command away from Lovely Maria and pulled off.

"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 her back and she was relaxing very nicely.

"I kept an eye on Rafael on (Angela Renee) and made him stay with horses a little longer and made him wait a little bit. My filly was very nice. 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."

"(I’m a Chatterbox) is awfully game," Jones added. "She has a world of talent."

A neck separated Lovely Maria and Forever Unbridled in fourth, while Angela Renee was another head back in fourth.

I'm a Chatterbox won her maiden debut for original trainer Kenny McPeek at Keeneland last October, then shipped to Churchill for a third-place effort against allowance/optional claiming rivals. Just 20 days later the Kentucky-bred lass finished fourth in the Golden Rod S. (G2) under the Twin Spires in her juvenile finale as well as her last race for McPeek.

Subsequently sent to Jones at Fair Grounds, the chestnut filly made her sophomore bow in the Silverbulletday S. over that New Orleans track. She produced a wire job that day, romping home eight lengths the best at 8-1, and subsequently was sent off the 3-1 favorite in the Rachel Alexandra.

I'm a Chatterbox improved her career line to read 5-3-0-1 and has now banked $228,614. She is out of multiple stakes-placed winner Chit Chatter (Lost Soldier) and counts as half-siblings the stakes-placed duo of Pegasus Again (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Lady Bear (Bluegrass Cat).

Chit Chatter is herself a full sister to multiple stakes heroine Chatter Chatter, who produced stakes scorers That's How I Roll (Speightstown) and Obruchev (Malibu Moon) as well as Grade 3-placed Bluegrass Chatter (Bluegrass Cat). This female family also includes Grade 1-winning millionaire Music Merci (Stop the Music), dual Grade 3 victor Commander (Broken Vow), Group 3 queen Guichet (Jacinto) and Grade 1 runner-up Past the Point (Indian Charlie).

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