Late Night Pow Wow prevails as heavy favorite in Twixt Stakes

Late Night Pow Wow and jockey Freddie Peltrouche acted like she was the boss of the $75,000 Twixt Stakes on Sunday at Laurel Park, and they were correct.

Late Night Pow Wow and Peltrouche set the pace in this seven-furlong dirt sprint for older fillies and mares, and even when Shimmering Aspen made a menacing three-wide run off the turn and poked her nose in front at the quarter pole, Late Night Pow Wow and Peltrouche sat chilly. It was only after straightening for home that horse or rider really got down to business, and when Peltrouche asked Late Night Pow Wow for run, the mare gave it to him. She fought off Shimmering Aspen and continued gamely to the finish, posting a popular 1 1/4-length victory.

Late Night Pow Wow, the overwhelming favorite, paid $3 to win and, off splits of 23.31, 46.08, and 1:09.65, was timed in 1:22.03 over a fast track. Shimmering Aspen just held off the late-running Cairenn for second. Regal Retort and Yorkiepoo Princess were scratched.

Trained by Javier Contreras for Breeze Easy LLC, Late Night Pow Wow is a West Virginia-bred win machine by Fibre Sonde out of Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie. The 4-year-old filly already was a terror at Charles Town before broadening her horizons this year by winning the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel on Feb. 18.

Late Night Pow Wow edged Spiced Perfection that day but finished a fairly distant third to her in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes on April 6 at Keeneland, her most recent start before the Twixt. Her career mark now stands at an eye-catching 14-12-1-1 following Sunday’s dominant performance.