I'm a Chatterbox Breezes Toward Spinster

Fletcher and Carolyn Gray’s multiple grade I winner  I'm a Chatterbox breezed a bullet five furlongs in :59 over a fast main track at Keeneland Oct. 4 in preparation for the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (gr. I).

Florent Geroux was aboard the homebred daughter of Munnings   for trainer Larry Jones; clockers caught her in fractions of :11.80, :22.60, :34.20, :59 and out six furlongs in 1:13 as she posted the fastest of 28 moves at the distance on the day.

The Oct. 9 Spinster is one of nine graded stakes on Keeneland’s opening weekend.

"She breezed really well," Jones said. "I don't know how long she can do it, but every race has improved this year. She's already way past her 3-year-old year, numbers-wise. Her last race was her best, and we're hoping the Spinster will be better than her last."

That last race was a thriller. In the Aug. 27 Personal Ensign (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, I'm a Chatterbox had the lead for much of the 1 1/8-mile race until deep stretch, when she was overtaken by eventual winner Cavorting, Curalina, and Forever Unbridled. She finished fourth.

"You take those four horses, run them in 10 races on 10 different tracks, every horse will win a race because those four are so good," Jones said. "No horse is going to dominate."

I’m a Chatterbox posted her second grade I triumph earlier this year when she took the Delaware Handicap (gr. I) over older horses; she claimed her first grade I in last year's Cotillion Stakes.

ANGST: After Rough Start, I'm a Chatterbox Cruises

I'm a Chatterbox enters the Juddmonte Spinster with seven wins, including six stakes victories, from 15 starts for earnings of $1,884,614. Three of her races have been at Keeneland, where she won her career debut two years ago, was eighth in the 2015 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), and ran second in the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare (gr. III) in April. She next won the Obeah and Delaware at Delaware Park.

"I'm so dang hardheaded," Jones said about I'm a Chatterbox's Keeneland return. "She was beat here twice. I've gotta be able to pull this off." 

The Juddmonte Spinster's prospective field includes Engaginglee, Genre, Innovative Idea, and Paid Up Subscriber. It is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You’re In" event for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park, a race Jones would consider tackling again should I'm a Chatterbox find the winner's circle Sunday.