Bowen closes in on first EmD title

For the Reporter

There still may be seven days remaining in the Emerald Downs meeting but Rocco Bowen already has the 2016 riding title signed, sealed and delivered.

Bowen owns a commanding 30-win lead over his closest pursuer, a big surprise considering the strength of this year’s jockey’s colony. Since opening week back in April, Bowen has been an unstoppable force. His 98 wins in 63 days average out to more than 1 ½ wins per day, and he already has a staggering 31 multiple-win days, including a pair of four-baggers last month.

As for earnings, his $1,041,557 easily lead the standings, and his five stakes wins are second only to Javier Matias’ six.

In short, it’s been a dream season for the 27-year-old native of Barbados. Consistency is a hallmark of excellence and Bowen has been consistently good, firing only one blank the last 2½ months at Emerald Downs. From June 25 to Aug. 14, Bowen won at least once on 23 straight cards.

“I was pretty sure it was happening but it felt like a dream,” Bowen said. “Pushing that streak, day after day, was just awesome.”

Bowen can pretty much coast to his first Emerald Downs title. However, coasting would be very un-Bowen. Let’s face it. Bowen has made his hay by not letting up, and he’ll leave the foot off the brake for now.

“I’m not stopping,” Bowen said. “My goal to start the season is 120 wins. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Neither would his fans, who’ve grown accustomed to Bowen’s rail-skimming, out-of-the-clouds closing victories. His local cheering section gets a huge boost next week when his mother Nancy Bowen flies in from Barbados to watch her son accept his first Emerald Downs title on closing day, Sunday, Sept. 11.

“It’s really special to have her here for the title,” an emotional Bowen said. “I want to accept this honor with her right next to me. I couldn’t have done it with out her.

“The title means a lot, but it means even more on how I did it. I had a really good win percentage, I stayed consistent, and I put in the same amount of effort on each horse I rode.”

The effort has paid off for Bowen who in his first five seasons, has already moved into 15th place all-time in the Emerald Downs jockeys’ standings and could reach the top 10 with a repeat season next year.

Even through Bowen’s meteoric rise, the humble rider admits he needs good horses to win races. For that, he gives the credit to his agent David “Marbles” Singer. A relentless hustler, Singer uses persistence and insight to get his riders on the best horses. It worked swimmingly with last year’s leading rider Julien Couton, and that same tenacity has worked wonders again with Bowen.

“It’s funny because in some ways it gets even harder when you start to win,” Bowen said. “In a lot of races, Marbles will get four or five calls for me to ride, and even with his other riders too.

“When it comes to picking which horse to ride, I pretty much stay out of it,” Bowen said smiling. “I always pick the wrong horse. Whenever my agent picks the horse, he always nails it.”

The complementary relationship between jockey and agent has made Bowen and Singer an instant hit. When Emerald Downs closes shop next week, the dynamic duo will set out to find their next racetrack to conquer. Bowen said there’s a plan in the works but no official word on which track yet.

“Marbles and I are weighing our options but for sure we’ll be together,” Bowen said. “I’m going to take three or four weeks to rest up and freshen my body then it will be back to riding.

“Surely I’ll be back at Emerald Downs next season. A lot of people said now that I’m moving up that I won’t be back but this is home for me. I want to be the one to reckon with here for years to come.”

Gold Rush Dancer in $300,000 DMR Derby

John Parker’s sensational 3-year-old Gold Rush Dancer drew the rail for Sunday’s $300,000 Del Mar Derby (Grade 3) at 1 1/8 miles on turf. It goes as Race 8 with post time 5:30 p.m. and, of course, will be simulcast at Emerald Downs.

An overflow field of 14 3-year-olds and two also-eligibles is entered in the Derby, with Gold Rush Dancer carrying a three-race winning streak into his first graded start. Trained by Vann Belvoir, Gold Rush Dancer has been thrashing California-breds in 2016, reeling off turf wins at Golden Gate and Santa Anita in the Silky Sullivan and Snow Chief Stakes, and on dirt at 14-1 in the July 27 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar.

A California-bred by Private Gold-Dances On Water, Gold Rush Dancer began his career last year at Emerald Downs, winning both a maiden race and the Gottstein Futurity with trainer Bill Tollett. He’s 3-2-1 in seven starts on dirt and perfect in two starts on turf, and has total earnings of $379,923.

Free Rose, Lucky Bryan and the Bob Baffert-trained Moonlight Drive — the top three finishers in the Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap — figure to be the top three choices in the Del Mar Derby. Ebadan, owned by Dave Heerensperger, is one of the also-eligibles.

Harbor the Gold leading sire again

For the third straight season and fifth in the last six, Harbor the Gold is the leading sire at Emerald Downs. In fact, the 15-year-old stallion has 44 wins thru Sunday, more than twice as many as Parker’s Storm Cat, currently second with 21 wins, and with seven days left in the meet, Harbor the Gold has an outside chance to break his personal record of 54 wins set in 2014.

Rounding out the top five are Demon Warlock, 16 wins, Private Gold, 15 wins, and Liberty Gold, Nationhood and Raise the Bluff, nine wins apiece.

O B Harbor is the marquee runner for Harbor the Gold in 2016, winning four races, three stakes and a meet-high $124,050 for trainer Chris Stenslie and owner Jody Peetz. Progeny of Harbor the Gold also finished first, second and third, with The Press, Mach One Rules and Face Valued running one-two-three in Sunday’s $50,000 Pegasus Training and Equine Rehabilitation Center Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Perhaps a Pie back in action Sunday

Perhaps a Pie isn’t about to rest on her laurels. Upset winner of the $65,000 Emerald Distaff last month, the 4-year-old Tale of Ekati filly heads a field of six older fillies and mares entered in Sunday’s $19,500 optional claiming feature at 6½ furlongs.

Perhaps a Pie scales back in distance from 1 1/8 miles to 6½ furlongs. Nicely rated by Eswan Flores in the Distaff, she set fractions of :23.76, :47.42, 1:10.91 and 1:35.21, holding off Chronologic’sghost and 2-1 favorite All Star Bub for the $42.40 victory and earning $35,750 for the partnership of Chris Stenslie, Jody Peetz and Will Brewer. Her overall record is 4-1-2 in 14 starts with earnings of $88,572.

Perhaps a Pie and Guinevere’s Finale are both entered for a $40,000 tag on Sunday. Although she didn’t threaten while finishing fourth in the Distaff, Guinevere’s Finale has three wins and over $54,000 in purses at the meet, including a $48.20 triumph in the Boeing Stakes. A 5-year-old Tale of the Cat mare owned by Oak Crest Farm and trained by David Martinez, Guinevere’s Finale is 6-1-2 in 17 lifetime starts with earnings of $121,531.

Rounding out the field are Formal Choice, E Z Star Maker, Jerre to Carrie and Curly Girly. Although she has only raced twice, 3-year-old E Z Star Maker comes off an eye-catching maiden victory last month, overcoming a slow break to win by 7½ lengths in 1:08.40 for six furlongs and earning an 80 Beyer.

The field in post-position order for Sunday’s $19,500 feature race: Perhaps a Pie, Eswan Flores, 123 pounds; Formal Choice, Isaias Enriquez, 119; EZ Star Maker, Leonel Camacho-Flores, 117; Jerre to Carrie, Rocco Bowen, 119; Guinevere’s Finale, Javier Matias, 123; Curly Girly, Leslie Mawing, 119.

Italian Day returns Sunday

This Sunday fans will find everything Italian at Emerald Downs on the annual Italian Day at the races.

“Wine Away on Italian Day” is one of the main festivities, with Italian cuisine, beers and specialty wines offered. Wine Away on Italian Day is held on Track Level–north of the The Winner’s Food Court. Special prizes will also be drawn in between races and live Italian Music will fill the grandstand, along with the popular Allegro Tarantella Dancers performing in the Winner’s Circle throughout the day.

Emerald Downs will also hold the Sorelli Pizza Eating contest. The contest will take place near the Winner’s Circle after the fifth race. Fans can sign up after 1 p.m. at customer service on Track Level. The contest winner receives gift cards of their choosing.

Italian Day has family activities at the Trackside Park, including pony rides, a bounce house and wax hands for kids.

Finish lines

Stryker Phd emerged from Sunday’s Washington Cup victory in good shape and trainers Larry and Sharon Ross and owners Jim and Mona Hour are contemplating the next move for the 7-year-old gelding. One possibility is a fall turf campaign at Golden Gate Fields, where Larry Ross plans to have a string of 10-12 runners this fall/winter. … Emerald Downs offers sincere condolences to the family of Shawn Skager, who passed away suddenly on Aug. 18. A longtime writer and columnist for the Auburn Reporter, Skager wrote several outstanding feature stories on horses, jockeys and trainers at Emerald Downs. Skager was 47. … Box Top, still going strong at age 13, makes his 123rd career start Sunday at Lethbridge, Alberta. A Washington-bred by He’s Tops, Box Top debuted Sept. 12, 2005, at Emerald Downs and has 22 career wins. … With seven days remaining, five owners are tied for first with nine wins apiece: Muddy Waters Stables, John Parker, Mark Dedomenico and North American Thoroughbred Racing Co., Center Point Racing Stables or Sabers Drawn Racing and Roz Barclay. … In the horse standings, Copy Begone leads with five wins while 10 horses have four wins: Analysis Paralysis, Xerxes, Knight Club, Mike Man’s Gold, He’s Cagey, Barkley, O B Harbor, Fooled Again, Italian Warrior and So Lucky. … Barkley, O B Harbor and So Lucky lead in stakes wins with three apiece, and O B Harbor is tops in earnings with $124,050. … Fooled Again has a chance for his fifth win of the meet in Friday’s feature race for older $10,000 claimers at 6½ furlongs. A field of 10 is entered, with Fooled Again the 9-5 morning line favorite. … Saturday’s feature race is a $19,500 allowance optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up at 6½ furlongs: Thetrailerguy, Awesome Indian, Ididaride Solo, Algenon, Sabado Alegre (Chi), Bluegrass Angus and Trick Or Retreat. … Entries for Monday’s Labor Day card will be drawn Friday.