Bowies Hero overcame a less than ideal start in Saturday’s $75,000 Singletary S., but the 3-year-old Artie Schiller colt erased his early deficit with a stirring stretch run to win the Santa Anita one mile turf event by a half-length.
It looked as if Bowies Hero might have little chance after severely stumbling to his knees a few strides out of the gate. Jockey Tiago Pereira let the colt settle in near the back of the 10-horse field as they made their way through the first half-mile in :46.05 seconds.
Bowies Hero began to accelerate with three furlongs to run but had to come extremely wide as he straightened for home. Full of run in the stretch, he roared past the field to win by a half-length in 1:35.06 on the firm turf.
“It’s not the start you want,” understated winning trainer Phil D’Amato. “But when I saw those (early) fractions, I didn’t worry. I thought he could come with a late kick.”
Winner of the Del Mar Juvenile Turf last season, Bowies Hero was making his 2017 debut in the Singletary. He is now 3-0-0 in five outings and has earned $120,585 for Agave Racing Stable and Hebert Bloodstock.
Bowies Hero was bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean and is the first foal out of Remembered, who is a sister to Grade 2 winner Mint Lane and Grade 1-placed Sister Girl Blues, who is the dam of Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Firing Line.
