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San Gorgonio was worth the Wait

Wait a While is now two-for-two at Santa Anita, site of this year's Breeders' Cup (Benoit Photo) Arindel Farm's WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon) had to wait an extra eight days for Monday's rescheduled San Gorgonio H. (G2), but the Todd Pletcher-trained champion proved to be worth the wait as she powered to a 1 1/2-length triumph at Santa Anita. Indeed, the added time boosted her chances, as the turf dried out from the deluge that had caused three straight cards to be canceled last week. Had the $150,000 San Gorgonio been run when first scheduled on a soggy January 6, Wait a While would have been scratched. Sent off as the prohibitive 1-5 favorite against four opponents, the five-year-old gray skimmed the rail while stalking the pace. Wait a While was tucked just behind the front-running Sohgol (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]), who posted splits of :23 4/5, :48 and 1:11 2/5. Hucking Hot (GB) (Desert Prince [Ire]) was tracking in second on the outside, keeping Wait a While hemmed in on the fence. Turning for home, as Sohgol ever so slightly came off the rail, Wait a While shot through that sliver of an opening beneath Garrett Gomez. From there, it was a coronation as Wait a While finished 1 1/8 miles on her preferred firm turf in 1:46 4/5. The champion paid $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10 while keying the meager $5.40 exacta ($1) (1-2). "David (Flores aboard Sohgol) came off the fence just enough to let me through," Gomez said, "and she really accelerated and opened up right there. At that point I was glad I was sitting where I was. She acted like she's been coming through there 100 times, and she hasn't." Lavender Sky (Mt. Livermore) mounted a spirited rally, following Wait a While through along the rail into the stretch, then gamely chased her all the way to the wire. The runner-up pulled 4 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest pursuer, yielding $4.60 and $3 at nearly 14-1. Sohgol held third by one length to return $2.60. Costume (GB) (Danehill) checked in fourth, followed by Hucking Hot.

With this ninth career stakes score to her credit, Wait a While now sports a mark of 20-10-3-4 and a bankroll totaling $1,819,917. Last season, she captured the Ballston Spa H. (G2) and Honey Fox H. (G3), and in her two most recent outings, she placed third in the September 29 Flower Bowl Invitational S. (G1) and second in the November 25 Matriarch S. (G1). During her 2006 campaign, the gray landed the American Oaks Invitational S. (G1), Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), Lake Placid S. (G2), Davona Dale S. (G2) and Sands Point S. (G3), a record which earned her the Eclipse Award as champion three-year-old filly. Her resume also lists a victory in the 2005 Miss Grillo S. and five other stakes placings, including the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Ashland S. (G1).

Bred by W.S. Farish and W. Temple Webber Jr. in Kentucky, Wait a While was sold for $260,000 at the 2005 OBS February sale as a two-year-old in training. She is the first registered foal from the winning A.P. Indy mare Flirtatious, who has also produced an unnamed juvenile colt by Pleasantly Perfect and a yearling full sister to the winner. Wait a While's granddam is Grand Charmer (Lord Avie), a Grade 3 winner on the grass. The family traces to the Northern Dancer mare Sleek Dancer, whose notable descendants include 1987 Irish Derby (Ire-G1) hero Sir Harry Lewis, 1994 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) (Jpn-G1) winner Chokai Carol, multiple stakes victor and sire Northern Prospect and 2000 Ramona H. (G1) queen Caffe Latte (Ire).

Pletcher has already given plenty of thought to Wait a While's 2008 campaign.

"We'll probably run her in the Santa Ana (H. [G2] at Santa Anita on March 23) and come back in the fall for the Breeders' Cup (Filly & Mare Turf [G1] at Oak Tree on October 25)," the horseman said. "We just hope we can keep her healthy. We would work around the Diana (S. [G1] at Saratoga) as our focus race this summer and hope to come back here in the fall. Running again in the Yellow Ribbon (as her Breeders' Cup prep) would make sense. We'll see.

"We're very excited that the Breeders' Cup is here," he said, alluding to Wait a While's two-for-two mark at Santa Anita. "She seems to like this course."

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