Late Night Pow Wow by a head in Fritchie Stakes

Late Night Pow Wow aced the toughest test of her career on Saturday at Laurel Park, scoring a hard-fought win in the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie that improved her record to 11 wins from 12 starts.

A West Virginia-bred daughter of the state's top sire, Fiber Sonde, Late Night Pow Wow has won nine straight races since being beaten a half-length in the Its Binn Too Long Stakes at her home base of Charles Town last April. Her win streak includes the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks and the Willa On the Move and What a Summer stakes at Laurel.

Last year's Fritchie winner, Ms Locust Point, outsprinted Late Night Pow Wow for the lead in the seven-furlong Fritchie and cruised through five furlongs on an open lead. In upper stretch, Late Night Pow Wow bid for the lead inside Ms Locust Point while West Coast shipper Spiced Perfection, coming off a victory in the Grade 1 La Brea, challenged from the outside.

Late Night Pow Wow and Spiced Perfection fought it out for the final three-sixteenths of a mile, with Late Night Pow Wow prevailing by a head. It was three lengths farther back to Dawn the Destroyer, who dropped much farther back than usual early and then finished well to best fourth-place Ms Locust Point for the show by a neck.

Late Night Pow Wow has now earned $619,400. She is trained by Javier Contreras, who bought her privately from her breeder, West Virginia horseman John McKee, who stands Fiber Sonde. Contreras sold Late Night Pow Wow three races ago to Mike Hall and Sam Ross, who race as Breeze Easy LLC.

"This win means the world to me," Contreras said. "It is amazing. I think she can still get better with age."

Late Night Pow Wow was sent off a slight favorite in the field of 10 fillies and mares and paid $6. She was timed in 1:21.61 after splits of 22.55, 45.29, and 1:09.39.

The Fritchie came 30 minutes after Uncontested's impressive, front-running score in the seven-furlong General George. He was timed in 1:21.06. The track record at Laurel is 1:20.95.