By Ben Massam
Carolyn and Fletcher Gray's I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings), winner of last year's GI Cotillion S. and a finalist for 2015 champion 3-year-old filly honors, returned to the worktab with a bullet three-furlong breeze in :35.40 [1/10] Monday at the Fair Grounds. Unraced since an eighth-place finish in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 31, the chestnut has been making her own schedule, according to trainer Larry Jones.
“I guess that was a good way to start back,” Jones joked when asked about the quick clocking. “It wasn't by design, but she did it easy. She's been wanting to run and wanting to stretch her legs a little, so she did. She came out of it good.”
Jones said that he did not have any particular race or early-season goal in mind for I'm a Chatterbox, and would keep an eye on her training in the coming weeks before making a decision.
“We'll just let her tell us,” said Jones. “I hadn't designed to start breezing her, but she was telling me last week that she's ready to breeze.”
I'm a Chatterbox swept all three stakes events for 3-year-old fillies at the Fair Grounds last year and ran third in the GI Kentucky Oaks behind stablemate Lovely Maria (Majesticperfection). She finished second in both the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S. at Saratoga prior to her Cotillion victory.
Jones, a three-time Kentucky Oaks winner, also sent out sophomore filly Midnight on Oconee (Midnight Lute) to breeze five furlongs in 1:01.40 [5/19] at the New Orleans oval Monday. Recently a much-improved second behind Stageplay (Curlin) in the Jan. 16 Silverbulletday S., Jones says Midnight on Oconee is doing well and on track for the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 20.
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