I’m a Chatterbox cruises in Obeah as Del ‘Cap prep

I’m A Chatterbox won the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks in March 2015. Photo by Alexander Barkoff / Hodges Photography

From a Delaware Park release

Prepping for an engagement in the Delaware Handicap on July 16, Carolyn and Fletcher Gray’s locally-based I’m a Chatterbox scored an easy victory in the $100,000 Obeah Stakes at Delaware Park today.

With Gabriel Saez aboard, the 4-year-old daughter of Munnings posted an 8 1/2-length and returned $2.60 as the favorite in the field of five. Genre, with Carol Cedeno aboard finished second. Savings Account, with Brian Pedroza, cut early fractions of :48.96 for the half mile and 1:12.86 for the three-quarters mile before fading to third. The final time for the mile and an eighth over a fast main track was 1:52.20.

In her only other outing this year, I’m a Chatterbox finished second in the Grade III Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland on April 22. Last year, the Kentucky-bred trained by J. Larry Jones won the Grade I Cotillion at Parx, the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks, and finished second in the Grade I Alabama Stakes.

She raised her career record to six wins from 13 starts with earnings of $1,384,614.

“We are sitting good right now,” said trainer J. Larry Jones. “With the Delaware Handicap being a Grade I and worth three-quarters of a million dollars, I think we will stay right here. We got a trip over the track which was one advantage of staying here instead of going into the Phipps at New York. Plus , the Phipps is a mile and a sixteenth and this is a mile and an eighth. So we plan on staying home and I am happy with the way this race is going to set her up for the Del ‘Cap.”