I’m a Chatterbox sharp as ever in Oaks work

As well as she ran in winning the Silverbulletday Stakes in January, and as strong as her performance was in capturing the Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February, I’m a Chatterbox might be even better in March. She runs next on March 28 in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

On Monday, in her first workout since she rallied from last to win the Feb. 21 Rachel Alexandra, I’m a Chatterbox zipped through a five-furlong drill in 59.20 seconds. It was the fastest of 20 works at the distance – and it was in no way intended to be fast.

“Yesterday, that was just supposed to be a little leg-stretcher, her first work back,” trainer Larry Jones said Tuesday. “She did it good, she did it with no company, and she was very much in hand. This filly, she’s starting to get really good.”

Florent Geroux, who rode I’m a Chatterbox in her two Fair Grounds wins, was aboard for the Monday drill and has the mount in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

I’m a Chatterbox joined Jones’s stable late last fall after racing for trainer Ken McPeek in her first three starts, the last of which produced a fourth-place finish in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. West Coast Belle won that race, but I’m a Chatterbox has drummed West Coast Belle twice at Fair Grounds.

“She just keeps filling out,” Jones said. “I follow her around the track every day, and I like what I see. Hopefully, she’s just now coming into her own.”

I’m a Chatterbox is the best 3-year-old filly stabled at Fair Grounds, and Jones trains the second-best one as well. Lovely Maria, who contested a fast pace and held gamely for second in the Rachel Alexandra, worked five furlongs Tuesday in 1:02.80. Were something to go amiss with I’m a Chatterbox, Lovely Maria would start in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but barring that, she is headed to the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, Jones said.

“Chatterbox is doing good enough that we figure if we can avoid her, we might have the heavy head,” said Jones of a prospective start by Lovely Maria in the Ashland. “We worked her this morning just in case something did happen with Chatterbox. She’s on go, too, and I could give her a harder work next week if I had to. But right now, we’re just kind of prepping her for the Ashland.”

Jones is on a remarkable run in stakes races during 2015, with eight wins from 16 stakes starts. But the Jones-trained Cassatt failed to produce her best form this past weekend at Santa Anita, finishing last in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita.

“We’re going to send her up [to Kentucky] and have them go over her in the clinic,” Jones said. “She’s got a little pressure in an ankle, probably from when she stumbled leaving the gate the other day.”