From the private collection of Dale Wyatt. Used by permission.
Flower Bowl waited until she was 4 to get good, but at that age, she was among the better members of her division in the United States. She proved to be an even better broodmare than racer, producing a two-time American champion and two important stallion sons.
Race record
32 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, US$174,265
1956:
Assessments
Weighted at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1956, 7 pounds below champion Blue Sparkler.
As an individual
A handsome bay mare, Flower Bowl stood about 16 hands. She had flat hocks and unusually straight hind legs with beautifully proportioned, powerful hindquarters.
As a producer
In a broodmare career interrupted by reproductive issues, Flower Bowl produced five named foals, of which four started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Bred and owned by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable, Flower Bowl was trained by Preston Burch. After Mrs. Sloane's death in 1962, Flower Bowl was part of a draft of broodmares acquired by Winston Guest and resold to John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm. She died of a uterine hemorrhage in 1968, one day after foaling His Majesty, and was buried at Darby Dan.
Pedigree notes
Flower Bowl is inbred 3x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to 1897 Hardwicke Stakes winner Bay Ronald. She is a full sister to 1957 Bellerose Handicap winner Floral Park, second dam of 1989 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Rootentootenwooten and the third dam of 1989 Derby Italiano (ITY-G1) winner Prorutori, Australian Group 3 winner Stormy Regent and Grade 3 winner Kukulcan. She is a half sister to 1965 Benjamin F. Lindheimer Handicap winner Brambles (by Beau Max) and to Multiflora (by Beau Max), dam of three-time American champion Gallant Bloom (by Gallant Man), second dam of Australian Group 3 winner Lady's Slipper and Irish Group 3 winner Misty Valley and third dam of three-time Scandinavian champion Valley Chapel. Flower Bed is also a half sister to Green Finger (by Better Self), dam of 1974 Queens County Handicap (USA-G2) winner Free Hand (by Gallant Man) and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Blandford Park (by Little Current) and third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Our Poetic Prince, 1987 Queensland Elders Handicap (AUS-G1) winner Dancing Poet and multiple Grade 3 winner Take Me Out.
Flower Bed, the dam of Flower Bowl and her siblings, is a winning half sister to 1950 Santa Anita Derby winner Your Host (by Alibhai) and to stakes-placed Your Hostess (by Alibhai), dam of 1974 Ladies Handicap (USA-G1) winner Coraggioso (by Gallant Man), 1967 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner T. V. Commercial (by T. V. Lark), 1963 Schuylerville Stakes winner Gallatia (by Gallant Man) and juvenile stakes winner Royal Clipper (by Royal Charger). Your Hostess is also the second dam of 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince, 1971 English champion 2-year-old male Crowned Prince, English Group 2 winner Gallina and Grade/Group 3 winners Native Guest and Bad Conduct and is the third dam of 1974 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1) and French champion 3-year-old male Caracolero, 1973 French champion 2-year-old filly Hippodamia and Grade 3 winner With a Twist. Returning to Flower Bed, she is also a half sister to Bowl of Roses (by Alibhai) second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner Nichido Arashe, and to Caluria (by Heliopolis), second dam of Argentine Group 3 winner Yamolai.
Boudoir II, the dam of Flower Bed and her siblings, turned in her best performance when second by a head in the 1941 Irish One Thousand Guineas. She is a half sister to Dark Justice (by Fair Trial), dam of 1962 American Derby winner Black Sheep (by Nigromante) and multiple stakes producer Zuleika (by Alibhai). The next dam in Flower Bowl's tail-female line, Kampala, was sired by 1916 Two Thousand Guineas winner Clarissimus and is a full sister to La Cantine, dam of the stakes-winning steeplechaser Rouge Vert (by Porte Veine) and second dam of 1959 Prix du President de la Republique winner Voveen (by Sirlan).
Fun facts
Last updated: October 8, 2020
Race record
32 starts, 7 wins, 4 seconds, 3 thirds, US$174,265
1956:
- Won Delaware Handicap (USA, 10FD, Delaware)
- Won Ladies Handicap (USA, 12FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Suwannee River Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
Assessments
Weighted at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American fillies and mares of 1956, 7 pounds below champion Blue Sparkler.
As an individual
A handsome bay mare, Flower Bowl stood about 16 hands. She had flat hocks and unusually straight hind legs with beautifully proportioned, powerful hindquarters.
As a producer
In a broodmare career interrupted by reproductive issues, Flower Bowl produced five named foals, of which four started and won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Bowl of Flowers (1958, by Sailor) was the champion of her age and sex at 2 and 3 in the United States and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2004. She is the dam of 1981 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (USA-G2) winner Spruce Bouquet (by Big Spruce) and of Whiskey Road (by Nijinsky II), who achieved some success while standing at stud in Australia and begot 1982/83 Australian Horse of the Year Strawberry Road. Her unraced son Big Burn (by Never Bend) was also a useful sire while standing in the United States.
- Graustark (1963, by Ribot) won the 1965 Arch Ward Stakes and 1966 Bahamas Stakes. Beaten a nose in the 1966 Blue Grass Stakes, in which he suffered a career-ending injury, Graustark went on to become an important sire and broodmare sire. His 52 stakes winners from 631 named foals include champions Caracolero, Key to the Mint and Tempest Queen.
- Yetive (1966, by Ribot) never raced but is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Flags Waving.
- His Majesty (1968, by Ribot) won the 1971 Everglades Stakes. The American champion sire of 1982, he sired 59 stakes winners from 655 named foals including champions Asaltante, Panjandrum, Pleasant Colony and Tight Spot.
Connections
Bred and owned by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable, Flower Bowl was trained by Preston Burch. After Mrs. Sloane's death in 1962, Flower Bowl was part of a draft of broodmares acquired by Winston Guest and resold to John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm. She died of a uterine hemorrhage in 1968, one day after foaling His Majesty, and was buried at Darby Dan.
Pedigree notes
Flower Bowl is inbred 3x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to 1897 Hardwicke Stakes winner Bay Ronald. She is a full sister to 1957 Bellerose Handicap winner Floral Park, second dam of 1989 Demoiselle Stakes (USA-G1) winner Rootentootenwooten and the third dam of 1989 Derby Italiano (ITY-G1) winner Prorutori, Australian Group 3 winner Stormy Regent and Grade 3 winner Kukulcan. She is a half sister to 1965 Benjamin F. Lindheimer Handicap winner Brambles (by Beau Max) and to Multiflora (by Beau Max), dam of three-time American champion Gallant Bloom (by Gallant Man), second dam of Australian Group 3 winner Lady's Slipper and Irish Group 3 winner Misty Valley and third dam of three-time Scandinavian champion Valley Chapel. Flower Bed is also a half sister to Green Finger (by Better Self), dam of 1974 Queens County Handicap (USA-G2) winner Free Hand (by Gallant Man) and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Blandford Park (by Little Current) and third dam of multiple Australian Group 1 winner Our Poetic Prince, 1987 Queensland Elders Handicap (AUS-G1) winner Dancing Poet and multiple Grade 3 winner Take Me Out.
Flower Bed, the dam of Flower Bowl and her siblings, is a winning half sister to 1950 Santa Anita Derby winner Your Host (by Alibhai) and to stakes-placed Your Hostess (by Alibhai), dam of 1974 Ladies Handicap (USA-G1) winner Coraggioso (by Gallant Man), 1967 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner T. V. Commercial (by T. V. Lark), 1963 Schuylerville Stakes winner Gallatia (by Gallant Man) and juvenile stakes winner Royal Clipper (by Royal Charger). Your Hostess is also the second dam of 1969 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Majestic Prince, 1971 English champion 2-year-old male Crowned Prince, English Group 2 winner Gallina and Grade/Group 3 winners Native Guest and Bad Conduct and is the third dam of 1974 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby, FR-G1) and French champion 3-year-old male Caracolero, 1973 French champion 2-year-old filly Hippodamia and Grade 3 winner With a Twist. Returning to Flower Bed, she is also a half sister to Bowl of Roses (by Alibhai) second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner Nichido Arashe, and to Caluria (by Heliopolis), second dam of Argentine Group 3 winner Yamolai.
Boudoir II, the dam of Flower Bed and her siblings, turned in her best performance when second by a head in the 1941 Irish One Thousand Guineas. She is a half sister to Dark Justice (by Fair Trial), dam of 1962 American Derby winner Black Sheep (by Nigromante) and multiple stakes producer Zuleika (by Alibhai). The next dam in Flower Bowl's tail-female line, Kampala, was sired by 1916 Two Thousand Guineas winner Clarissimus and is a full sister to La Cantine, dam of the stakes-winning steeplechaser Rouge Vert (by Porte Veine) and second dam of 1959 Prix du President de la Republique winner Voveen (by Sirlan).
Fun facts
- The Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes is a Grade 1 turf race for fillies and mares aged 3 and up. Inaugurated in 1978 at Belmont Park, it is contested over 10 furlongs.
Last updated: October 8, 2020