Wait a While, Lady of Venice square off in Lake Placid

The Todd Pletcher-trained WAIT A WHILE (Maria's Mon) returns on Friday in the

Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga, her first start back since capturing the

American Oaks Invitational S. (G1) by 4 1/2 lengths. The gray miss registered

the same margin of victory in the Sands Point S. (G3) prior to that one after

running fourth, placed third via disqualification, in the Kentucky

Oaks (G1). Wait a While's American Oaks score came in her second start on the

turf, and Pletcher had been considering the August 19 Del Mar Oaks (G1) for her

next try on the grass, but eventually settled on the Lake Placid.

"Having already shipped across the country once, we felt the Lake Placid

might be a little easier on her," the conditioner said. "That's a really long

trip and they don't always bounce back from it right away. Plus, this race sets

up well for her schedule, too. From here, if all things go well, we can look to

the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) at Keeneland on October 14.

"It's not often you have a horse, in this day and age, that can compete at

the top level on both turf and dirt," Pletcher added. "With that being said, I

think turf is where she is best."

Wait a While will be challenged by one of the best in her division in the Lake Placid. LADY OF VENICE (Fr) (Loup Solitaire) broke her maiden

and captured an allowance at Longchamp in France before making her sophomore

debut stateside in the Appalachian S. at Keeneland, scoring by 2 1/4 lengths.

Having settled in a bit more, the Patrick Biancone charge was next seen as a

four-length winner of the Regret S. (G3), and most recently took on her elders

when just a length back in fifth in the Diana H. (G1) over Saratoga's turf.

"Maybe she didn't handle the ground that day," said jockey Julian Leparoux,

who remains aboard for the Lake Placid. "She is only three, and there were some

tough older fillies in there. She had never run on that type of ground

(yielding), so to be beaten only a length by that group, on that surface, I

think she ran really good."

The complete field for the nine-furlong Lake Placid, with riders and weights,

is DANCING BAND (Dixieland Band), John Velazquez, 116; Lady of Venice, 120; Wait

a While, Garrett Gomez, 120; DIAMOND SPIRIT (Holy Bull), Rafael Bejarano, 116;

ART SHOW (Out of Place), Mike Luzzi, 118; and CITRONNADE (Lemon Drop Kid),

Javier Castellano, 116.

Citronnade is a main-track-only entrant.