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Wait a While too crafty in Honey Fox Arindel Farm's WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon), last year's Eclipse Award winner as champion three-year-old filly, kicked off her 2007 campaign with a wire-to-wire victory in the $100,000 Honey Fox H. (G3) at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. Cleverly handled by John Velazquez, the gray got away with an opening quarter in :23 4/5 on the firm turf, and when Brazilian (Stravinsky) tried to apply pressure through a half-mile in :47 3/5, Wait a While had all the answers. After completing six furlongs in 1:11, the Todd Pletcher filly quickened the tempo and left her pursuers reeling in the stretch. Crossing the wire 1 1/4 lengths in front, the 2-5 favorite stopped the teletimer in 1:39 1/5 for 1 1/16 miles and returned $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10. "She gave some nice horses a lot of weight today," Pletcher said of the 123-pound highweight. "I told Johnny to use his judgment (whether to go to the lead early), depending on how the race developed." "There wasn't much speed in the race," Velazquez said. "She was awesome. I gave her one spank, and she took off." Precious Kitten (Catienus) tracked the pace throughout and gave game chase through the lane, but she never looked like troubling the winner. Sent off at 8-1, the runner-up gave back $3.80 and $2.10 while ending the $6.40 exacta ($1). Another two lengths astern came the mildly rallying Chaibia (Ire) (Peintre Celebre), who yielded $2.10 to show and capped the $16.60 trifecta ($1) at 8-1. Aunt Henny (Hennessy) ran evenly for fourth, producing a $50 superfecta (2-7-8-4) ($1). Next came Miss Shop (Deputy Minister), Brazilian and Aerocat (Tale of the Cat). Toll Taker (Bernstein) was withdrawn. Wait a While sports a mark of 14-8-1-3 with a bankroll totaling $1,383,917. This was her seventh stakes tally, following scores in the American Oaks Invitational S. (G1), Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), Lake Placid S. (G2), Davona Dale S. (G2) and Sands Point S. (G3) last year as well as the 2005 Miss Grillo S. She also has four stakes placings on her resume, notably the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Ashland S. (G1). Wait a While's sophomore finale was a creditable fourth to Ouija Board (GB) in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (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 foal from the winning A.P. Indy mare Flirtatious, who has also produced a yearling colt by Pleasantly Perfect. 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 hasn't decided on Wait a While's next target. "Most of the races for her division come along later in the season," he said. "There's no rush with her, but it's possible she could run in something at Keeneland before then."
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