WV-Bred Late Night Pow Wow Wins Charles Town Oaks
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Photo: Coady Photography
Late Night Pow Wow in her Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes victory Aug. 25 at Charles Town
The $300,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) went to the home team Sept. 22, as West Virginia-bred and West Virginia-trained Late Night Pow Wow found just enough to edge 42-1 longshot Chauncey by a neck at the wire.
Four wide through much of the first turn and three wide through much of the second in the seven-furlong test, Chauncey got the jump on 9-1 Late Night Pow Wow as she blew by pacesetter and 6-5 favorite Sower midway through the final bend.
After a slight check in the second turn under jockey Fredy Peltroche, Late Night Pow Wow still had plenty left for the short stretch run at Charles Town, but Chauncey was not done yet. Although Late Night Pow Wow appeared to have all the momentum on the outside, Chauncey dug in but could not quite hold off her rival, who finished the distance in 1:24.37. Sower, who set a pace of :22.97 and :46.78 through a half-mile, held third, well behind the top two.
Trip may have ultimately been the difference, as Late Night Pow Wow had inside position behind Sower through much of the race, while Chauncey was wide throughout.
The Charles Town Oaks victory gave Late Night Pow Wow her first graded victory, as well as the first graded win for her owner/trainer Javier Contreras, Peltroche, and her sire, Fiber Sonde.
"The way she worked, she could have run against anyone," Contreras said. "I just told (Peltroche) to take back and make one run at the right time. Turning for home I got a little nervous when I thought she got stopped a bit, but she's pretty strong. She's the real deal.
"Everybody has been behind us here. It's been amazing. It's my first graded stakes win. It's a big deal. It might not be like the Derby or anything, but it's my Derby."
Bred by John McKee out of the Indian Charlie mare Holy Pow Wow, Late Night Pow Wow came into the Charles Town Oaks off four straight wins at her home racetrack, including a score in the Aug. 25 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes, her first stakes victory. She now has seven wins from eight starts and $288,650 in earnings, with her only loss a half-length second in the Its Binn Too Long Stakes at Charles Town, where she's made all her starts.