Photo by: Adam Coglianese

Trainer Todd Pletcher Jockey Garrett Gomez Owner Arindel Farm Breeder W. S. Farish & W. Temple Webber, Jr. (Ky) Recent Race History Date Race Finish 06.03 Sands Point (GIII) 1st 05.05 Kentucky Oaks (GI) 4th 04.08 Asland Stakes (GI) 2nd

Starter Analysis

Wait a While is a bit of an x-factor in this year's Oaks. She hasn't been on the turf since breaking her maiden last September. Trainer Todd Pletcher had her on the Kentucky Oaks (GI) trail after a blowout win in the Davona Dale (GII) at Gulfstream Park. Her fourth in the Oaks was better than it looked, and she rebounded with an easy win against an overmatched group in Belmont's Sands Point (GIII). Pletcher is taking a bit of a shot shipping cross country, but the two-time Eclipse Award winning trainer has a full understanding of all of his horses' capabilities. She could well wind up being the nemesis that Attima doesn't want to face, as both fillies have a considerable amount of early foot. Distance won't be a problem, and a solid series of turf works at Belmont say she is ready for the surface switch. Morning line of 5-2 could be a tad of an underlay, but if she drifts up much higher she could be the value of the day.

Pedigree Analysis :: Grey/Roan filly, 3; by Maria's Mon - Flirtatious (A. P. Indy)

Wait a While is a daughter of the 1995 2-year-old champion colt Maria's Mon and is gray in color like her sire. As a racehorse, Maria's Mon was precocious, capturing 4-of-5 starts as a juvenile including a pair of Grade I wins - a feat no other juvenile accomplished that year - in the Champagne and Futurity at Belmont Park. He retired prematurely due to injury after only two starts at three and was sent to stud at Pin Oak in 1997. Maria's Mon became an immediate success at stud, siring 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos in his first crop, which secured himself a place in history as a stallion. Besides Monarchos, he has sired 21 additional stakes winners, most notably High Limit (GII), See How She Runs (GI), and Gaff (GIII). Maria's Mon comes from the same female family as Marfa, winner of both the Santa Anita Derby (GI) and Jim Beam Stakes (GII) at age three, and he possesses several stamina influences in his immediate family, including Majestic Light, Buckpasser, Caro and Naskra. Wait a While is the first foal out of the regally bred A.P. Indy mare Flirtatious, winner of four races at two and three with career earnings of $171,266. Like Maria's Mon, Flirtatious also retired prematurely, as she captured her last two starts running through the allowance ranks on the Kentucky circuit and looked to be an emerging graded stakes-caliber filly before getting injured. Racing under the familiar green and gold chevrons of Wait a While's breeder Will Farish of Lane's End, Flirtatious excelled around two turns and at a route of ground, and she ran some pretty solid speed figures in doing so. Flirtatious ran behind the likes of graded stakes-winning fillies Spain (champion) and Atelier, and she was of the quality as a racehorse to provide as a stellar broodmare, especially with her elite pedigree. Her family is also loaded with strong stamina influences, including the Seattle Slew sire line and Lord Avie on the maternal side. The Maria's Mon out of an A.P. Indy mare cross gives Wait a While 4x5 inbreeding to the prolific stallion Buckpasser