Pletcher's Wait a While In BC Filly & Mare Turf

Five-Year-Old Waited to Race With Canada's Champion Sealy Hill

Nov 13, 2008 BarbaraAnne Helberg

Wait a While took on Point Given's Sealy Hill, a Canadian Triple Tiara champion, in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf stretch and gave Todd Pletcher a show finish.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, a multiple Eclipse Award Trainer of the Year, has found few of his schoolees in the winner's circle in major events such as the Triple Crown races, the Dubai World Cup and the fall gathering called the Breeders' Cup World Championships, but Wait a While, a five-year-old, waited for a move under jockey John Velazquez in the BC Filly & Mare Turf on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface and finished strong for show behind the charging Sealy Hill.

Complete Order of Finish 2008 Filly & Mare Turf

The complete order of finish of the BC Filly & Mare Turf, along with the 2008 race records of the entrants' prior to the race, their pedigrees, and jockeys follow:

  1. Forever Together ----- 6:3-0-2 ----- Belong to Me--Constant Companion, by Relaunch ----- J. Leparoux
  2. Sealy Hill ----- 6:1-0-2 ----- Point Given--Boston Twist, by Boston Harbor ----- P. Husbands
  3. Wait a While ----- 4:3-0-0 ----- Maria's Mon--Flirtatious, by A.P. Indy ----- J. Velazquez
  4. Visit (GB) ----- 3:1-1-1 ----- Oasis Dream (GB)--Arrive (GB), by Kahyasi (IRE) ----- R. Moore
  5. Vacare ----- 4:1-1-0 ----- Lear Fan--Appealing Storm, by Valid Appeal ----- J. Valdivia, Jr.
  6. Mauralakana (FR) ----- 7:5-2-0 ----- Muhtahir (GB)--Jimkana (FR), Double Bed (FR) ----- K. Desormeaux
  7. Halfway To Heaven (IRE) ----- 6:3-1-2 ----- Pivotal (GB)--Cassandra Go (IRE), by Indian Ridge (IRE) ----- J. Murtagh
  8. Dynaforce ----- 4:1-2-0 ----- Dynaformer--Aletta Maria, by Diesis (GB) ----- A. Garcia
  9. Folk Opera (IRE) ----- 8:4-2-0 ----- Singspiel (IRE)--Skiphall (GB), by Halling ----- F. Dettori
  10. Pure Clan ----- 6:2-2-2 ----- Pure Prize--Gather The Clan (IRE), by General Assembly ----- E. Prado

Forever Together A Calm Entrant

Trainer Jonathan Sheppard, thrilled to win his first BC race with Forever Together, said his charge is a sure thing as far as demeanor before a race is concerned. "(She)...takes things in stride," said the trainer in a post-race interview. "She is always rather curious as to what is going on around her. She likes to focus on things..." unlike Alice Springs, whom Sheppard schooled for the Breeders' Cup in the 1990s.

With Alice Springs, Sheppard said, he was unable to sleep the night before the BC because of her extreme excitablility prior to a competition. Forever Together "makes my job easier," he praised.

Foreign Flavor of the BC Filly & Mare

The Filly & Mare Turf, first run in 1999, has been dominated by foreign entries. Forever Together added to the United States' modest two-year win streak in the compeition at Santa Anita October 24, pleasantly surprising native English trainer Sheppard, who kept the race's foreign flavor lingering. Sheppard came to America to permanently reside in 1961.

In the middle of the ten-year history of the Filly & Mare Turf, Great Britain (2001), France, Ireland, and Great Britain again (2004) have triumphed in the contest. GB's Quija Board scored in 2004 and repeated her feat in 2006.

Forever Together Shall Return While Show Waits

Connections of Filly & Mare Turf winner Forever Together indicated the filly may return to the event in 2009 as a five-year-old. Santa Anita will again host the BC championships next year.

The well-bred Wait a While awaits her connections next desire, while Pletcher remains in line for the winner's circle.

The copyright of the article Pletcher's Wait a While In BC Filly & Mare Turf in Horse Racing is owned by BarbaraAnne Helberg. Permission to republish Pletcher's Wait a While In BC Filly & Mare Turf in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.