1. A method, in a data processing system, for performing a wake-and-go operation, the method comprising: detecting a thread, executing in a processor, that is waiting for an event that modifies a data value associated with a target address; storing the target address in a wake-and-go entry of a wake-and-go storage array in association with a thread identifier of the thread; storing thread state information in a hardware private array, wherein the hardware private array cannot be addressed by an operating system or work threads running on a processor; placing the thread in a sleep state; and responsive to the event that modifies a data value associated with the target address, reloading the thread state information from the hardware private array for the thread corresponding to the thread identifier in the wake-and-go entry, placing the thread in a non-sleep state, performing an operation to determine whether the modified data value is a target data value, and responsive to determining the modified data value is not the target data value, placing the thread in the sleep state.