Contreras keeps the money local with Late Night Pow Wow

When Charles Town holds its richer open stakes, horses typically ship in from out of town and walk away with the top awards. But on Saturday, in the $300,000 Charles Town Oaks, owner-trainer Javier Contreras scored one for the home team with the West Virginia-bred filly Late Night Pow Wow.

The victory was the first in a graded stakes for Contreras, who has been training since the mid-1980s.

“It means everything – that all the hard work we do is worth it, not just for me but for all my help,” Contreras said. “Sunday we were all so happy doing our jobs. It means a lot.”

Contreras, 60, has been based at Charles Town since 2008. Prior to that he stabled at Laurel Park or Delaware Park and raced at Tampa Bay Downs in the winter.

The Charles Town Oaks was the second stakes win for jockey Fredy Petrouche, who won the Sylvia Bishop Memorial on Late Night Pow Wow in August. He gave Late Night Pow Wow a picture-perfect ride Saturday, tracking the leaders while saving ground and then taking her outside Chauncey, who came away with the lead nearing the stretch. Late Night Pow Wow was up in deep stretch to win by a neck over the Lacey Gaudet-trained Chauncey.

Late Night Pow Wow has seven wins and a second from eight starts and earnings of $288,000. Contreras said he will point her next for the $125,000 Cavada against statebreds on West Virginia Breeders’ Classic night, Oct. 13.

“She’s run hard this year,” Contreras said. “We might give her a break over the winter. I think we can pick out spots with her next year and win some stakes on the road.”

Contreras bought Late Night Pow Wow on his own behalf from Charles Town horseman John McKee, who stands her sire, Fiber Sonde. He also bought Hidden Canyon, a son of Fiber Sonde whom he won a stakes with in 2013, from McKee.

Late Night Pow Wow’s two recent stakes wins are the first for Contreras since Amherst Street in 2014. Contreras won five stakes with Amherst Street, whom he purchased from trainer James W. Casey, who stands the gelding’s sire, Luftikus, at his Taylor Mountain Farm.

“I bought Amherst Street and Hidden Canyon for one of my clients, Phyllis Susini, but she passed away, so I ended up owning them,” Contreras said. “I like to go to the farms and look at the horses as yearlings, running in the fields, and see what is for sale.”