No waiting around in Ballston Spa

Wait a While returned to her winning ways at Saratoga (Mathea Kelley/Horsephotos.com) Arindel Farm's WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon) signaled that she's back to her brilliant best with an emphatic 2 1/4-length victory in Thursday's $200,000 Ballston Spa H. (G2) at Saratoga. Garrett Gomez settled last year's champion three-year-old filly into a comfortable spot in fifth in the early going, roughly three lengths off the moderate pace of :24, :47 4/5 and 1:11 1/5. Turning into the stretch, the Todd Pletcher trainee rocketed into contention and quickly spurted clear. Wait a While reeled off 1 1/16 miles in 1:40 on the firm inner turf, just .08 seconds off the course mark. Sent off as the 3-1 second choice, Wait a While returned $8, $4.50 and $3.30 while keying the $37.80 exacta and $133 trifecta (7-2-1). "People may have lost some respect for her," Pletcher said. "Things haven't gone exactly right with her until today. She showed today that she is as good today as she has ever been. I thought she was impressive." Vacare (Lear Fan) stalked along the inside and found herself caught in traffic at the top of the lane, but once extricated, she finished well for runner-up honors by 3 1/2 lengths. The nearly 4-1 shot gave back $4.80 and $3.50. Meribel (Peaks and Valleys) got up for third, furnishing $4.40 at 6-1. Early leader Pommes Frites (Dynaformer) tired to fourth, a neck in front of Dance Away Capote (Capote). The 7-5 favorite, My Typhoon (Ire) (Giant's Causeway), bobbled just as she launched her bid for the lead and then fell back to sixth, followed by Iron Goddess (More Than Ready). Mauralakana (Fr) (Muhtahir [GB]) and Amansara (War Chant) were withdrawn.

"She was going well up to the quarter-pole," trainer Bill Mott said of My

Typhoon. "From there, she lost her hind end a little bit and she slipped. After

that, she lost all momentum. I don't know if another horse bumped her, or if she

just slipped."

Wait a While's triumph marked an end to a frustrating series of reverses that

had beset her since capturing the Honey Fox H. (G3) in her 2007 bow. In her past

two outings, she was well beaten by My Typhoon, winding up fifth in the Jenny

Wiley S. (G2) over Keeneland's Polytrack and a distant second in the Just a Game

S. (G2). After shipping to Hollywood Park for the CashCall Mile Invitational S.

(G2), Wait a While spiked a temperature and had to be scratched.

The winner now sports a mark of 17-9-2-3 with a bankroll totaling $1,569,917.

This was her eighth stakes tally, with her resume including 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) during her 2006 championship

campaign, as well as the 2005 Miss Grillo S. She also has five stakes placings

on her resume, notably last year's 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 registered foal from the winning A.P. Indy mare Flirtatious, who has also

produced an unnamed yearling colt by Pleasantly Perfect and a 2007 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).