Late Night Pow Wow, Call Paul head Top Midlantic-bred Poll
A pair of 2019 Grade 3 winners have been the best horses bred in the Mid-Atlantic thus far this year, according to the first edition of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred/The Racing Biz Top Midlantic-bred Poll, released March 12.
Four-year-old Late Night Pow Wow, a West Virginia-bred, tops the poll of older horses, while the leader of the three-year-old survey was the Pennsylvania-bred Call Paul.
Late Night Pow Wow, a daughter of West Virginia sire Fiber Sonde, has won twice to date in 2019, her most significant victory having come in February when she won the Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park, holding off Grade 1 winner Spiced Perfection to get the money. Overall, Late Night Pow Wow has won 11 of 12 career starts and posted $619,400 in earnings.
Late Night Pow Wow was bred in West Virginia by John McKee. She is trained at Charles Town by Javier Contreras, who purchased her privately from McKee and subsequently sold her, also privately, to Breeze Easy LLC.
Three other Grade 3 winners are also among the top five older horses. They are Valedictorian (NJ), winner of the Grade 3 Suwanee River, Grade 3 Royal Delta victor Blamed (MD), and Prince Lucky (PA), winner of the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope. Fifth on the list is John B. Campbell Stakes winner Bonus Points (MD).
Call Paul kicked off his 2019 campaign in early February in winning fashion, taking the Grade 3 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. It was his fourth win from six career starts, his second in graded company, and it pushed his career earnings to $366,920.
Call Paul, a son of Maryland-based sire Friesan Fire, was bred in Pennsylvania by Beatrice Patterson and Vicky Schowe. Sold for $20,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearling Sale in 2017, he was a stellar pinhook for Grassroots Training and Sales, who turned around and sold him at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic two-year-olds in training sale last May for $210,000. He’s trained by Jason Servis for an ownership group that includes Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bethlehem Stables LLC, and Bruce Irom.
Call Paul is the only graded stakes winner among the Midlantic-bred sophomore set thus far in 2019. He’s followed on the list by stakes winners Alwaysmining (MD), Las Setas (MD), and Ujjayi (PA), as well as the graded stakes-placed Our Braintrust (MD).
Of the 10 horses in the two polls, five were bred in Maryland, and three were bred in Pennsylvania. New Jersey and West Virginia were home to one of the top 10 each. Of the group, five are males and five are females.
The monthly Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred is the only publication devoted to Thoroughbred breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Racing Biz, an online publication, is the independent voice for mid-Atlantic racing and breeding.
The poll is conducted of media members and others involved in the Thoroughbred industry and restricted to horses that have run in 2019 and were bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Carolinas.
- Call Paul (PA) — 3yo colt by Friesan Fire-Avani Force, by Forestry; bred in Pennsylvania by Beatrice Patterson and Vicky Schowe; trained by Jason Servis for Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bethlehem Stables LLC, and Bruce Irom; 2019 accomplishments: Won G3 Swale Stakes
- Alwaysmining (MD) — 3yo gelding by Stay Thirsty-What Will Be, by Anees; bred in Maryland by Avla Pitts; trained by Kelly Rubley for Runnymede Racing LLC; won $100,000 Miracle Wood S.
- Las Setas (MD) — 3y filly by Seville-Tanca, by Polish Numbers; bred in Maryland by Bob Manfuso and Katy Voss; trained by Katy Voss for herself, Manfuso, and Wayne Harrison; won $100,000 Wide Country S.
- Our Braintrust (MD) — 3yo colt by Freud-Caller Trust, by Trust N Luck; bred in Maryland by Barak Farm; trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber; 3rd in G3 Withers S., 2nd in Jerome S.
- Ujjayi (PA) — 3yo filly by Smarty Jones-Ocean Road, by War Front; bred in Pennsylvania by T. L. Wise; trained by Erin McClellan for her breeder; won Ruthless S.
Also receiving votes: Boldor, KP Slickem, Horologist
- Late Night Pow Wow (WV) — 4yo filly by Fiber Sonde-Holy Pow Wow, by Indian Charlie; bred in West Virginia by John McKee; trained by Javier Contreras for Breeze Easy LLC; won G3 Barbara Fritchie S., $100,000 What A Summer S.
- Valedictorian (NJ) — 5yo mare by Temple City-Smart N Classy, by Smart Strike; bred in New Jersey by John Bowers, Jr.; trained by Kelly Breen for Epic Racing; won G3 Suwanee River S., 2nd in G3 Honey Fox S., 3rd in G3 Marshua’s River S.
- Blamed (MD) — 4yo filly by Blame-Salsa Star, by Giant’s Causeway; bred in Maryland by Sagamore Farm; trained by Bill Mott for Cleber Massey; won G3 Royal Delta S.
- Prince Lucky (PA) — 4yo gelding by Corinthian-Lucky Notion, by Great Notion; bred in Pennsylvania by Daniel McConnell, Sr.; trained by Todd Pletcher for Daniel McConnell; won G3 Hal’s Hope S.
- Bonus Points (MD) — 5yo horse by Majestic Warrior-Baby Love, by Not for Love; bred in Maryland by Country Life Farm; trained by Todd Pletcher for Three Diamonds Farm; won $100,000 John B. Campbell S.
Also receiving votes: Beach View, Laki, Enchanted Ghost, I’m Betty G, Fast and Accurate
Participating Voters: Ted Black (freelance writer), Michael Campbell (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey), Joe Clancy (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Cindy Deubler (Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred), Linda Dougherty (freelance), Debbie Easter (Virginia Thoroughbred Association), Paul Espinosa (Charles Town Races), Anne Frederick (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Rich Glazier (Delaware Park), Cricket Goodall (Maryland Horse Breeders Association), Jim Hague (freelance), Nick Hahn (freelance), Carol Holden (West Virginia Breeders Classics), Tom LaMarra (The Blood-Horse), Jeff Nations (freelance), Kate Painter (West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association), Vinnie Perrone (freelance), Frank Petramalo (Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), Gary Quill (The Racing Biz), David Richardson (Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), Brian Sanfratello (Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association), Sal Sinatra (Maryland Jockey Club), Chris Sobocinski (Delaware Park), Dan Tordjman (freelance), Frank Vespe (The Racing Biz), Bill Watson (freelance), Lydia Williams (freelance), Bobby Zen (freelance).
Note — Not all participating voters will vote in every poll.
