Favored Late Night Pow Wow cruises to Bishop win

Late Night Pow Wow won easily. Photo by Coady Photography.

by Frank Vespe

Late Night Pow Wow entered Saturday’s $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes for West Virginia-bred three-year-old fillies with but a single blemish on her record: a runner-up effort behind Noblame in the Its Binn Too Long Stakes back in April.

The Javier Contreras trainee made sure that defeat did not repeat itself in the Bishop.

Under an ultra-confident Fredy Peltroche ride, Late Night Pow Wow cruised to a 2 1/2-length win in the Bishop, stopping the timer in 1:26.50 for seven furlongs on a track rated fast. It was her sixth win in seven career starts and pushed her earnings to $112,250.

Sent off at 1-5 odds, Late Night Pow Wow was away alertly in the Bishop but content to cede the early advantage to longshot Northern Heat — also trained by Contreras — and the 7-2 second choice, See Ya Manana. Those two were the top pair through an opening half-mile in 48.74 seconds, while Late Night Pow Wow lurked menacingly a half-length away and to their outside.

Midway on the turn for home, with Late Night Pow Wow out in the five path, Peltroche gave her her cue and received an immediate response. Late Night Pow Wow kicked into high gear and immediately cleared past her speed rivals and, after getting three taps of the whip in upper stretch, went on to to win comfortably.

B’s Wild Cork, 20-1 at post time, surged in the lane to earn second, while See Ya Manana held third. Late Night Pow Wow paid just $2.40 to win and topped an exacta worth $11.60 for two dollars.

Late Night Pow Wow, bred in West Virginia by John McKee, is by top local sire Fiber Sonde out of the Indian Charlie mare Holy Pow Wow. She is owned and trained by Javier Contreras.