Direct the Cat likely a handful in Sylvia Bishop Memorial
Only five are slated to face the starter in Saturday’s $75,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town Races. And it looks like trainer Cynthia McKee is holding the best cards.
The seven-furlong test for state-bred sophomore fillies will take place as the seventh race on an eight-race program. Post time for the card is 7:00 p.m.
McKee’s pair, both bred by her late husband John McKee and owned by her Beau Ridge Farm LLC, include 1-5 favorite Direct the Cat and 5-2 second choice Overnight Pow Wow.
After finishing second and third in her first two starts, Direct the Cat has compiled a six-race win streak that includes three stakes wins last year. This year she has won two allowance races by many lengths while earning upper-80s Beyer speed figures and is being pointed, if all goes well, to the Grade 2, $750,000 Charles Town Oaks August 23.
Three of Direct the Cat’s six wins have come by more than 10 lengths. All told, her six wins have come by a combined total of 58 ¾ lengths – an average of 9 ¾ per victory. The Redirect filly, out of the stakes-winning Fiber Sonde mare Cat Thats Grey, will have Reshawn Latchman, up for every start of her career, in the irons.
![Direct the Cat](https://www.theracingbiz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/direct-the-cat-alw.jpg)
Overnight Pow Wow, by Fiber Sonde and out of the Indian Charlie mare Holy Pow Wow, won the Its Binn Too Long Stakes in April for her first, and so far only, stakes triumph. That made her, remarkably enough, one of four full siblings to win a stake. She’s joined by near-millionaire Muad’dib, multiple graded winner Late Night Pow Wow, and recent It’s Only Money winner Duncan Idaho.
Since her stakes win, which came at 4 ½ furlongs, Overnight Pow Wow’s two subsequent starts have both been at the two-turn distance of 6 ½ furlongs. In both she zipped right to the front and went on to win. In all she’s won four of six.
Latchman has also ridden Overnight Pow Wow in all of her starts, but since he’ll be on Direct the Cat, Marshall Mendez gets the call. The duo will leave from the rail.
Breeder-owner-trainer Leslie Cromer will try to upset the McKee apple cart with What’shername, who is 6-1 on the morning line. What’shername is a half to two stakes winners, including graded winner and $1.1 million earner Runnin’toluvya.
What’shername won her first two starts by nearly 10 lengths combined but settled for second behind Runaway Beauty in her most recent. In that race, she was fractious before the race, pressed the pace, but could not contain the rallying winner.
Maximo Chilo has the mount, and the duo will leave from post number four.
The Ken McPeek-trained Seven Natty Patty (12-1) and local Day Drama (30-1), trained by Javier Contreras, round out the field.
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