Bowl Game (USA)
April 20, 1974 – November 10, 2006
Tom Rolfe (USA) x Around the Roses (USA), by Round Table (USA)
Family 26
April 20, 1974 – November 10, 2006
Tom Rolfe (USA) x Around the Roses (USA), by Round Table (USA)
Family 26
Slow to reach his best form, Bowl Game was a Grade 1 winner on dirt but was at his best on turf. An extremely consistent horse, he was a champion at 5 but was injured before really getting his 6-year-old season off the ground and had to retire. As a gelding, he had no opportunity to contribute to future generations.
Race record
23 starts, 11 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds, US$907,083
1978:
1979:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 133 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf males of 1978, 4 pounds below highweighted Exceller and tied with the official champion turf male, Mac Diarmida (a 3-year-old).
Highweighted at 130 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf males of 1979, 3 pounds above second-rated Noble Dancer II.
As an individual
A smallish, neat, well-balanced bay gelding, Bowl Game lacked early speed and typically came from off the pace. He did not race at 2 due to repeated problems with bucked shins and sore ankles, which also limited his racing as a 3-year-old.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bowl Game was bred by Greentree Stud and was owned by Greentree Stable. He was trained by John M. Gaver Jr. and was ridden by Jorge Velasquez in all but three of his races. He was retired to Greentree as an honored pensioner following his racing career. Following the death of Greentree owner Mrs. John Hay Whitney (nee Betsey Cushing) in 1998, he was cared for at the Paeonian Springs, Virginia, farm of Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation president Jonathan Miller. He was euthanized November 10, 2006, due to the infirmities of old age.
Pedigree notes
Bowl Game is inbred 4x3 to 1943 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Princequillo, a two-time American champion sire and eight-time American champion broodmare sire. He is also inbred 5x5 to 1924 Eclipse Stakes winner Pharos, a champion sire in England and France, and 5x5 to 1923 Derby Stakes winner Papyrus. He is a half brother to Sea Pigeon (by Sea-Bird), a multiple stakes winner both on on the flat and over hurdles.
Around the Roses, the dam of Bowl Game, ran second in the 1966 Acorn Stakes. She is a full sister to Rosetta Stone, dam of 1981 American champion turf female De La Rose (by Nijinsky II), 1978 Suburban Handicap (USA-G1) winner Upper Nile (by Nijinsky II), and two-time Firenze Handicap (USA-G2) winner Lie Low (by Dr. Fager); second dam of 1986 Young America Stakes (USA-G1) winner Conquistarose amd Grade 3 winner De La Devil; and third dam of multiple Group 1 winner Spartacus, Irish Group 2 winner Johan Cruyff, and Grade 3 winners Odysseus and Stratham. Around the Roses is also a half sister to 1958 English champion 2-year-old filly winner Rosalba (by Court Martial), dam of Group 2-placed Italian stakes winner Rugged (by Ribot), second dam of Argentine Group 2 winner Rose Red, and third dam of 1982 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) winner Remember, 1988 Grande Prêmio Organização Sul Americana de Fomento ao Pure Sangue de Corrida (BRZ-G1) winner Court Lady, Chilean Group 3 winner Big Fantini, and New Zealand Group 3 winner Lord Regent. In addition, Around the Roses is a half sister to Red Red Rose (by Court Martial), second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Political Ambition and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Nani Rose and English Group 3 winner Illustrious Miss. Finally, Around the Roses is a half sister to Hidden Reef (by Cohoes), dam of the minor stakes winner Port Authority (by Delta Judge).
Around the Rose and her siblings are out of multiple English stakes winner Rose Coral (by the good Hyperion sire son Rockefella), a half sister to Italian stakes winners Zimone (by Persian Gulf) and Adoneo (by Vieux Manoir). The next dam in Bowl Game’s tail-female line is Lady Mary Rose, a stakes-placed daughter of Nearco out of Rosemain, by Doctor Dolittle.
Books and media
Footage of Bowl Game's win in the 1979 Man o' War Stakes can be accessed through his page at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (https://www.aikenracinghalloffame.com/Bowl_Game.html).
Last updated: June 10, 2024
Race record
23 starts, 11 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds, US$907,083
1978:
- Won Gulfstream Park Handshake (USA-G1, 10FD, Gulfstream Park)
- Won Pan American Handicap (USA-G2, 12FT, Gulfstream Park)
- Won Dixie Handicap (second division) (USA-G2,12FT, Pimlico)
- 2nd Hollywood Invitational Turf Handicap (USA-G1, 12FT, Hollywood)
- 3rd Bowling Green Handicap (USA-G2, 11FT, Belmont)
1979:
- Won Turf Classic Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Aqueduct)
- Won Washington D.C. International Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Laurel)
- Won Man o' War Stakes (USA-G1, 11FT, Belmont)
- Won Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap (USA-G2, 12FT, Hialeah)
- Won Arlington Handicap (USA-G2, 12FT, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Brooklyn Handicap (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Tidal Handicap (USA-G2, 11FT, Belmont)
- 3rd Bowling Green Handicap (USA-G2, 11FT, Belmont)
Honors
- Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1980)
- Eclipse Award, American champion turf male (1979)
Assessments
Rated at 133 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf males of 1978, 4 pounds below highweighted Exceller and tied with the official champion turf male, Mac Diarmida (a 3-year-old).
Highweighted at 130 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American turf males of 1979, 3 pounds above second-rated Noble Dancer II.
As an individual
A smallish, neat, well-balanced bay gelding, Bowl Game lacked early speed and typically came from off the pace. He did not race at 2 due to repeated problems with bucked shins and sore ankles, which also limited his racing as a 3-year-old.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Bowl Game was bred by Greentree Stud and was owned by Greentree Stable. He was trained by John M. Gaver Jr. and was ridden by Jorge Velasquez in all but three of his races. He was retired to Greentree as an honored pensioner following his racing career. Following the death of Greentree owner Mrs. John Hay Whitney (nee Betsey Cushing) in 1998, he was cared for at the Paeonian Springs, Virginia, farm of Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation president Jonathan Miller. He was euthanized November 10, 2006, due to the infirmities of old age.
Pedigree notes
Bowl Game is inbred 4x3 to 1943 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Princequillo, a two-time American champion sire and eight-time American champion broodmare sire. He is also inbred 5x5 to 1924 Eclipse Stakes winner Pharos, a champion sire in England and France, and 5x5 to 1923 Derby Stakes winner Papyrus. He is a half brother to Sea Pigeon (by Sea-Bird), a multiple stakes winner both on on the flat and over hurdles.
Around the Roses, the dam of Bowl Game, ran second in the 1966 Acorn Stakes. She is a full sister to Rosetta Stone, dam of 1981 American champion turf female De La Rose (by Nijinsky II), 1978 Suburban Handicap (USA-G1) winner Upper Nile (by Nijinsky II), and two-time Firenze Handicap (USA-G2) winner Lie Low (by Dr. Fager); second dam of 1986 Young America Stakes (USA-G1) winner Conquistarose amd Grade 3 winner De La Devil; and third dam of multiple Group 1 winner Spartacus, Irish Group 2 winner Johan Cruyff, and Grade 3 winners Odysseus and Stratham. Around the Roses is also a half sister to 1958 English champion 2-year-old filly winner Rosalba (by Court Martial), dam of Group 2-placed Italian stakes winner Rugged (by Ribot), second dam of Argentine Group 2 winner Rose Red, and third dam of 1982 Grande Prêmio Henrique Possolo (BRZ-G1) winner Remember, 1988 Grande Prêmio Organização Sul Americana de Fomento ao Pure Sangue de Corrida (BRZ-G1) winner Court Lady, Chilean Group 3 winner Big Fantini, and New Zealand Group 3 winner Lord Regent. In addition, Around the Roses is a half sister to Red Red Rose (by Court Martial), second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Political Ambition and third dam of multiple Grade 3 winner Nani Rose and English Group 3 winner Illustrious Miss. Finally, Around the Roses is a half sister to Hidden Reef (by Cohoes), dam of the minor stakes winner Port Authority (by Delta Judge).
Around the Rose and her siblings are out of multiple English stakes winner Rose Coral (by the good Hyperion sire son Rockefella), a half sister to Italian stakes winners Zimone (by Persian Gulf) and Adoneo (by Vieux Manoir). The next dam in Bowl Game’s tail-female line is Lady Mary Rose, a stakes-placed daughter of Nearco out of Rosemain, by Doctor Dolittle.
Books and media
Footage of Bowl Game's win in the 1979 Man o' War Stakes can be accessed through his page at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (https://www.aikenracinghalloffame.com/Bowl_Game.html).
Last updated: June 10, 2024