“I was flying so often the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), they knew me,” Bowen said. The tracks are separated by roughly 2,400 miles. Making up for lost time, Bowen, in early July, began riding seven days a week, normally splitting time between Emerald Downs near Seattle and Thistledown in suburban Cleveland. Bowen had seven winners during the meet that began in December before fracturing his pelvis when a horse he was on, Paid Double, flipped in the starting gate before the eighth race March 25 at Oaklawn.īowen said he was expected to miss five months. Now, I’m ready to go.”īowen, 35, suffered a broken collarbone in an August 2022 spill at Presque Isle and had only one subsequent mount before his injury-shortened 2022-2023 Oaklawn season. Last year I was coming off an injury, also, from Presque Isle. I’m coming here this year healthier, more fit. I started this year with seven wins and I’m on (97) wins right now. It was Bowen’s first mount at Oaklawn since he was injured before a race roughly 8 ½ months earlier. Frequent flyer Rocco Bowen is back in the Oaklawn winner’s circle after the jockey guided favored Colonel Barton to victory in the first race of the 2023-2024 meeting Friday for trainer Mike Puhich.
