D'Amato splitting up top milers Prince Earl, Bowies Hero

ARCADIA, Calif. – California’s top turf milers Prince Earl and Bowies Hero will go separate directions Oct. 5 in prep races for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, while their Phil D’Amato-trained stablemate Pee Wee Reese could be headed to the BC Turf Sprint.

Multiple graded winner Bowies Hero, a troubled fifth as the favorite last out in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile won by Prince Earl, will ship to Keeneland for the Grade 1, $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile. Prince Earl, who won the Del Mar Mile in 1:33.13, will stay home and run the same day in the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile at Santa Anita.

“I think Bowie will like that turf course,” D’Amato said, referring to Keeneland. “My owners want to chase the big money, and I have zero problem with that. Prince Earl, this will only be his second race off the bench and he ran so big last time. It’s probably better to say home and not have to ship.”

Grade 1 winner Bowies Hero has won seven races and $878,970 from 20 starts. Prince Earl has won three races and $224,778 from five starts.

D’Amato, whose Obviously won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, may have a sleeper in the BC Turf Sprint this year. Pee Wee Reese, the California-bred owned and bred by Nick Alexander, will return from an extended layoff in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita. Pee Wee Reese is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup, but if he wins the five-furlong Eddie D, D’Amato said Alexander is likely to pay the $100,000 fee to make him eligible.

The BC Turf Sprint this year is at five furlongs. Pee Wee Reese has won seven races and $412,901 from 14 starts.