Last year’s dead heat made last year’s Bowling Green special
The Bowling Green, a turf handicap, is named for the area on the lower tip of Manhattan Island. Earlier it was run at 1 3/8 miles 195859, 1 ½ miles 1960-62, 1 5/8 miles 1963-67, 1 ½ miles from 1968-76, 1 ¼ miles in 1977, and 1 3/8 miles 19782011. Run at Aqueduct from 1963-67.
There may not be a better moment in sports than a dead heat that thrilled Saratoga Race Course fans last year as Channel Maker with Joel Rosario up and Glorious Maker with Julien Leparoux up beat the field by a half length.
Glorious Empire was the leader throughout the Bowling Green and it was Channel Maker who moved up from fourth at the threequarter and one-mile pole, reeling in Glorious Empire for the tie for trainers Bill Mott and James Lawrence.
Canadian-bred Channel Maker returned to finish second in the Sword Dancer Stakes (GI) (to Glorious Empire) before three straight finishes off the board before winning this year’s Man o’ War Stakes (GI) in May and finishing fourth in June’s Manhattan Stakes (GI), both at Belmont Park.
The Ireland-bred and world traveling Glorious Empire proved to be a wise investment, purchased for just $28,000 in the Goffs November Foals sales, the gelding out of Holy Roman Empire and Humble and Proud by Pivotal finished his career with more than $966,000 in earnings.
The Bowling Green was his first stakes win in July of last year and he proved that it was no fluke, besting Channel Maker by one and three-quarter lengths in the August Sword Dancer. After a disappointing finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (GI) at Churchill Downs he finished his racing career on top, winning the December Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream Park before retiring at the Whalton Manor Stud in Nottinghamshire, England.