Bowies Hero gets back on winning track in Mathis Brothers Mile
ARCADIA, Calif. - Bowies Hero is the best 3-year-old turf miler in California.
Tuesday at Santa Anita, Bowies Hero caught pacesetter Kroy in the final sixteenth and won his third stakes of the year at a mile on turf in the Grade 2 Mathis Brothers Mile.
“He was incredible today,” said winning rider Kent Desormeaux.
Desormeaux guided Bowies Hero through an ideal trip to win the $201,035 Mathis Brothers Mile, one of four graded stakes on Tuesday’s opening day of the winter-spring meeting.
Bowies Hero ($8.80) was third or fourth for the first six furlongs, racing two or three lengths behind Kroy, a 7-1 shot who won a stakes at Gulfstream Park in August and one in September.
Kroy, trained by Armando de la cerda, set a decent pace of 23.54 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.09 for a half-mile. Ridden by Javier Castellano, Kroy led by a half-length with a quarter-mile remaining and by two lengths with a furlong to go.
“Turning for home, I thought I’d win the race,” Castellano said. “The winner always finishes strongly. I’m not disappointed in my horse. He ran a huge race. He likes to be on the lead.
Bowies Hero was timed in 1:33.46.
Big Score, the 8-5 favorite, closed from seventh in a field of eight to finish third. Colonist was fourth, followed by B Squared, Hootie, Holiday Stone, and Harbour Master. Harbour Master’s saddle slipped on the first turn, leaving jockey Victor Espinoza with minimal control of the 17-1 outsider.
Bowies Hero is owned by Agave Racing and trained by Phil D’Amato. By Artie Schiller, Bowies Hero has won 5 of 11 starts and earned $381,325. At 2, he won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile and was 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.
Bowies Hero won the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in May and the restricted Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar in July.
The win in the Mathis Brothers Mile ended a three-race losing streak for Bowies Hero, who finished third in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby, third in the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita, and fifth in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Those races were at 1 1/8 miles on turf.