Wait a While impressive in Yellow Ribbon

ARCADIA, Calif. - In a year when Bernardini is considered the horse to beat in the Breeders' Cup Classic, and Henny Hughes is a top contender for the Breeders' Cup Sprint, another 3-year-old emerged as a serious Breeders' Cup prospect on Saturday when the filly Wait a While embarrassed her seven older rivals in the Grade 1, $400,000 at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

Wait a While ($3.40), the favorite, roared past pacesetter Dancing Edie at the top of the stretch and powered home to a 4 1/2-length victory in the Yellow Ribbon, her final prep for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. Three Degrees ran on for third. The margin of victory was a record in the Yellow Ribbon, which has been run 30 times.

"She was awfully impressive," Todd Pletcher, Wait a While's trainer, said from his barn at Belmont Park moments after the race. "She's been just sensational. It was just a matter of duplicating her last couple of races, and obviously she did."

Wait a While had won the American Oaks and the Lake Placid Stakes in her previous two starts. She is now unbeaten in four races on the grass, and has won each of those races by at least 4o1/2 lengths.

Assistant trainer Ginny Dipasquale traveled with Wait a While from New York and saddled her for the race.

Wait a While broke from the outside in the field of eight, but was on the bit throughout and quickly got a perfect stalking position. As the field came through the stretch the first time, she was lapped on Dancing Edie, eager to do more through fractions of 24.26 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, and 48.32 seconds for a half-mile.

Dancing Edie maintained a narrow lead through six furlongs in 1:12.88 and a mile in 1:36.43, but then jockey Garrett Gomez asked Wait a While for her best, and the race was over. She flew through the final quarter in just over 23 seconds to complete 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 1:59.52.

Wait a While is owned by Alan and Karen Cohen, who could not attend the race on Saturday. Their farm manager, Cody Richardson, represented them.

"This really sets us up well for the Breeders' Cup," Richardson said. "Five weeks out, I really like our spot."

Pletcher said Wait a While would fly to Churchill Downs on Monday, and likely would then return to New York for her final preparations for the Breeders' Cup.