Despite late surface switch, Sister Troienne lives up to top billing in Wait a While
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A mid-afternoon shower forced a switch in surface and distance for Thursday’s $100,000 Wait a While Stakes. But neither change could slow down the red hot Sister Troienne, who registered a popular and relatively easy three-length victory over the 26-1 outsider Day to Day in the feature race on opening day of the 2025 Gulfstream Park Championship meet.
The Wait a While for 2-year-old fillies was originally scheduled to be run at 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf but was ultimately decided at a mile and 70 yards over the Tapeta course. The new conditions led to the late scratch of stakes winner Spirit Doll, who figured to be Sister Troienne’s chief rival in the race.
Sister Troienne came into her stakes debut having captured her two previous starts on turf by a combined margin of eight lengths. She was again ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who was accepting his first mount locally since guiding Nyquist to victory in the 2016 Florida Derby.
Sister Troienne raced within easy striking distance of the pacesetting Day to Day while kept wide from the outset. She engaged the leader approaching the stretch and stuck her head in front nearing the furlong grounds before steadily drawing clear under late urging. Day to Day, showing improved speed with the addition of blinkers, remained second best, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of R Slew of Cash.
Sister Troienne, a 2-year-old daughter of Munnings, is trained by Brian Lynch for owner-breeder Woodblane Farm. She completed the distance in 1:40.53 and paid $3.40.
“There’s always concern when it’s a new surface,” Lynch of the switch to the Tapeta track. “But she’s a beautiful, big, sound filly who always acted like she’s got a lot of talent, so it was worth taking a chance [on keeping her in the race). Mario felt like she would be a lot closer than she was in her previous races, and she’s out of a Lemon Drop Kid mare and acts like she wants to run a mile and one-quarter down the road. It all worked out perfectly today.”
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