2006 Eclipse Award Champion Female Turf Horse
Wait a While was a brilliant chestnut filly who lit up the American turf scene in 2006 and walked away with a championship. She was foaled in 2003, a daughter of the stallion Maria's Mon out of the mare Flirtatious. She raced for Alpha Delta Stables, the partnership group of Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss, and she was trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. John Velazquez rode her in her finest moments, and the two made for one of the most stylish combinations on the grass that year.
Wait a While put together one of the great turf seasons by a sophomore filly. She rolled to victory in the American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park, sweeping past her rivals down the long stretch. From there she headed east and just kept on winning. She captured the Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park and the Diana Stakes at Saratoga over the summer, beating older fillies and mares with the same kind of ease she had shown against three year olds. Todd Pletcher kept the spots coming, and the filly kept answering the call.
Her finishing kick was as good as any in the business. Wait a While had a way of settling in behind horses, then unleashing a sweeping run from the top of the stretch that overwhelmed the leaders. By the end of 2006 she had stamped herself as the leading three year old filly on grass in America, and the voters agreed. Wait a While was named the 2006 Eclipse Award Champion 3-Year-Old Filly on the Turf, capping a brilliant year for Alpha Delta Stables and the Pletcher barn.
She kept on running well as an older mare, picking up additional graded stakes wins in 2007 against top company. Wait a While retired with millions in earnings and went on to a broodmare career, where her Maria's Mon sire line and championship class made her a valuable producer. She is remembered as one of the most stylish turf fillies of her decade, a blue collar champion who racked up wins from coast to coast and gave John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher plenty to celebrate during a wonderful 2006 campaign.
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