Late Night Pow Wow cruises to victory in What a Summer Stakes
Late Night Pow Wow looked like a winner from gate to wire in the $100,000 What a Summer Stakes at Laurel Park on Saturday. The victory was her eighth in a row and improved her career record to 10 for 11.
Behrnik's Bank set the early pace on a short lead outside Late Night Pow Wow, who broke sharply from post 1 under Fredy Peltroche and showed more early speed than usual. Late Night Pow Wow took command of the six-furlong race nearing the stretch and was pulling away in the final sixteenth under a hand ride to win by 6 1/4 lengths without ever feeling the whip.
"Everything went perfect," Peltroche said. "It was an easy race for the filly today."
Late Night Pow Wow is based at Charles Town with trainer Javier Contreras, who bought the West Virginia-bred daughter of Fiber Sonde from her breeder, John McKee, and owned her for her first nine starts. Contreras sold her to the Breeze Easy LLC of Mike Hall and Sam Ross.
Contreras also sent out What a Summer runner-up Devine Mischief for Breeze Easy. The 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief was making her first start for Contreras and came up the inside in the stretch to best Behrnik's Bank by a neck for the place. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Moonlit Song, who finished fourth and last.
Late Night Pow Wow was timed in a rapid 1:09.27 following fractions of 22.49, 45.64, and 57.54, meaning she covered her final furlong in 11.73 seconds.
There was no show betting on the race, but $44,510 of the $52,360 place pool was bet on Late Night Pow Wow, who returned $2.40, $2.10. The Contreras exacta returned $7.
Contreras said Late Night Pow Wow will be pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel on Feb. 16. Late Night Pow Wow is 4 for 4 at the Fritchie's seven-furlong distance, and she is now 2 for 2 at Laurel.
The What a Summer was Late Night Pow Wow's fifth consecutive stakes win. Her richest victory came in the Grade 3, $300,000 Charles Town Oaks in September. She has earned $469,400.
"She's a very special filly for us," Contreras said.
