Jockey Rocco Bowen Getting ‘In The Zone’ At Oaklawn Park

Mile races at Oaklawn occasionally trick riding newcomers since those races end at the sixteenth pole.

Add Barbados native Rocco Bowen to the list, but his ending was a treat. Taking no chances in last Saturday's sixth race, Bowen guided Background ($70) to a noteworthy 1 ¾-length victory for trainer Mike Puhich in the $88,000 second-level allowance event for older horses.

“I rode four or five jumps after the wire,” Bowen said during training hours last Sunday. “(Ricardo) Santana was like: 'Stop! Stop! Stop! Rocco, stop, you're going to get fined.' But I was like so in the zone. I wanted to make sure the job was done – sealed, packaged and delivered.”

The victory, over a sloppy track with light rain falling, made Bowen, 31, the first Barbadian jockey to win a race at Oaklawn. Riding at Oaklawn for the first time this year, Bowen had been winless in 33 mounts at the meet, which was interrupted last month because of severe winter weather.

“I wouldn't say discouraged, I felt more like I was letting my agent down,” Bowen said, referring to his mentor, retired jockey Joe Steiner. “He took up a huge task to take my book when I came to Oaklawn, so I felt personally it was on me that I was letting him down and I wasn't putting my best foot forward. I wasn't putting my best foot forward to feed him and his family. It's the first time away from his 5-year-old boy. It's hard. I've been in that position, being away from my kids the first time. It's never easy. I had that in the back of my mind: 'What am I doing?' I'm taking away from his family. I'm not doing any good.”

A wicked left hook from Mother Nature added to Bowen's frustration. Arctic temperatures and heavy snow led Oaklawn to cancel eight live racing dates and 11 days of training in February. Not only did Bowen miss numerous chances to record his first victory, he gets on many horses each morning.

Bowen lives on Lake Hamilton and said much of his snow(cation) was spent driving to a nearby Kroger or gas station and venturing to the track to shedrow horses for trainer Norman McKnight to stay fit.

“I only missed like three days and then Mr. McKnight put me to work,” Bowen said. “It was surely one of the biggest snowstorms I've witnessed. I sent my mom videos, constantly, my family. I was like, 'Family, I thought you loved me. Where's the sunshine?' ”

Although Bowen cut his teeth in Canada, he became a riding star in the Pacific Northwest. He became the first Bajan jockey to win a riding title in the United States at the 2015-2016 Portland Meadows meeting and was champion jockey three consecutive years (2016, 2017 and 2018) at Emerald Downs in suburban Seattle before a debilitating arm injury in September 2018 cost him approximately 1 ½ years in the saddle. Bowen resumed riding June 4 at Belterra Park and a week later became the first Bajan jockey to win a race Churchill Downs (White Wolf for trainer Paul Holthus of Hot Springs). The purse was $24,000. Bowen said it was the trainer's wife, Oaklawn paddock analyst/handicapper Nancy Holthus, who reminded him last Saturday's pot was almost four times larger.

“Honestly, I didn't know the purse until I got back to the room, until one of my biggest fans, Nancy, said something to me,” Bowen said. “She said on top of me winning, it was a big purse. I said, 'Nancy, I was just hoping to win one.' It didn't matter the purse size because all purses here are big. Some are bigger than others. I was just hoping to notch one. It feels great.”

Bowen entered Thursday with 1,008 career North American victories, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. He was named on two horses Thursday at Oaklawn, including Frankies Moonshine for Paul Holthus in the fifth race.

The most famous rider produced by Barbados, a small Caribbean island northeast of Venezuela, is Patrick Husbands, an eight-time Sovereign Award winner as the outstanding jockey in Canada. Husbands is 0 for 11 in his career at Churchill Downs and never ridden at Oaklawn.

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Oaklawn: Rocco Bowen, 100% Healthy Again, Pictures Big Things In His Future

As a successful jockey, Rocco Bowen has had his picture taken hundreds of times following a race. That's a perk for winning.

Now, pictures have become even more of a motivation for the determined Bowen, 31, specifically two that he said hang in an important travel hub in his native Barbados, a small Caribbean island northeast of Venezuela.

One of those pictures, Bowen said, is of Patrick Husbands, the gold standard for Barbadian riders and an eight-time Sovereign Award winner as the outstanding jockey in Canada. The other is of celebrated Barbadian singer/actress Rihanna.

Bowen said he hopes one day to see a third picturing hanging in Grantley Adams International Airport. His picture.

“No, I'm serious,” Bowen said. “That's the only two people – they're ambassadors. That's my goal, man, to have my picture in the airport because everyone comes through the airport.”

Bowen's quest to add to his photo portfolio has him at Oaklawn, where he is riding for the first time this year after a debilitating arm injury cost him approximately 1 ½ years in the saddle, threatened his livelihood and  led to a career U-turn in 2020 after once dominating the racing landscape in the Pacific Northwest.

Bowen has already recorded two milestones in his comeback. His 1,000th career North American victory came Nov. 11 at Indiana Grand, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Bowen also won his first race at historic Churchill Downs earlier in the year.

“I feel great physically,” Bowen said. “I'm 100 percent.”

Born and raised in Barbados, Bowen's hook to racing was through his father, who owned a couple of cheap horses. Bowen said he began riding match races in the “pasture” when he was 8 or 9, attended jockey school and made his professional debut at 15.

“It didn't come natural,” Bowen said of his early days as a rider. “My dad always told me that jockeys are born to do it, but I wouldn't say I was a natural. I had a lot to learn. I really didn't look good and stuff. My dad always had a lot of faith in me. He always thought I was going to go far.”

Bowen said he won 21 races as a jockey in Barbados. Although Barbados has year-round racing, Bowen said opportunities there are limited because of a truncated racing calendar. Bowen said that led his family to pool their finances and, following Husband's lead, send him to Canada at 16 to continue his career.

Bowen landed in Vancouver, British Columbia, and rode his first race at Hastings Park on April 28, 2007.

After cutting his teeth in Canada, Bowen eventually became a star in the Pacific Northwest. He became the first Bajan jockey to win a riding title in the United States at the 2015-'16 Portland Meadows meeting and was champion jockey three consecutive years (2016, 2017 and 2018) at Emerald Downs in suburban Seattle.

Bowen never had a chance to capture a fourth consecutive Emerald Downs riding title after being injured during training hours in September 2018. Bowen said he damaged his shoulder and suffered a concussion after being thrown to the ground when a rein a broke on a horse he was breezing.

“I was out for 25 minutes,” Bowen said. “Normal morning. I just remember getting on the horse in the barn. I don't remember anything after that.”

Bowen's injury occurred during the closing weeks of the Emerald Downs meeting. The jockey had a meet-best 97 victories and was trying to reach triple digits for the third consecutive year after finishing with 110 in 2016 and 126 in 2017.

“I was not going to let that injury stop me, getting the three wins,” Bowen said. “It was something I never would have lived down. It was something I really wanted to do.”

Bowen said he took a week off and resumed riding after being cleared by a doctor. He finished with 109 victories. But Bowen wouldn't ride again until June 4, 2020, at Belterra Park, owing to the shoulder injury that triggered numbness in his right hand.

Bowen said he was in so much pain at the end of the 2018 Emerald Downs meeting that he remembers once having to use his left arm to raise his right after awakening from a restless night of sleep.

“I ended up riding and I just put the horse in the middle of the racetrack,” Bowen said. “I didn't put myself in a bad spot because I'm riding with one hand. Just was determined because it took me so much to get to the top of Emerald that I was not going to let that hand stop me. I kind of had that feeling that I wasn't going to be able to ride that winter, so that would have played with me all the time. Even being leading rider, I wasn't going to stop at 97 wins. I just kept on pushing.”

Bowen said he initially believed he would miss “three or four months” because of the injury, but months stretched into more than a year because of lingering problems. Bowen said he didn't undergo surgery and time finally erased the pain.

“The thought of never riding again, that almost took away my heart,” Bowen said.

Bowen said he had planned to make his comeback last summer at Arlington Park, even signing a one-year lease on an apartment three minutes from the track. Yet another roadblock: No racing (COVID-19).

But Bowen was so hungry to return to the saddle that in late May he began driving 3 ½ hours each day from suburban Chicago to Anderson, Ind., to work horses for trainer Genaro Garcia in preparation for Indiana Grand's opening, delayed until June 15, (COVID-19).

With no place to stay in Indiana, Bowen said he would drive back to Arlington Heights after training hours, only to start the process over the following day at 1 a.m. (Central). Bowen said the track closed at 11 a.m. (Eastern).

“The first day, I was late for work, an hour,” Bowen said. “I didn't know they had a time change. That's what I had to do. Once I got my first paycheck, then I got a hotel.”

Bowen's first victory in his comeback came aboard the Garcia-trained Hyndford June 5 at Belterra Park. Bowen's first mount at Churchill Downs, White Wolf, became the jockey's first winner there five days later. Bowen, as a regular, rode 39 winners in his Indiana Grand debut to finish eighth in the standings. His mounts earned $934,902.

“The first race I rode, I got (disqualified), the very first race of the meet, opening day, but not for lack of trying,” Bowen, jokingly, said. “I was like, 'Man, people are going to think this is a wild and crazy guy.' But by the fifth race of the day, I won on my favorite horse since my comeback, Unmoored, for Mr. Genaro Garcia. I won three races on that horse last summer.”

White Wolf's trainer, Paul Holthus of Hot Springs, has been another one of Bowen's biggest supporters in his comeback. They teamed for six victories at Indiana Grand and have continued their relationship this year at Oaklawn.

“He's a good kid,” Holthus said. “Really like him. Good attitude. He's a good enough rider, for sure.”

Bowen, whose agent/mentor is retired jockey Joe Steiner, said his plan is to remain based in the Midwest. Asked why he didn't make his comeback at Emerald Downs, Bowen said it would have been a sign of weakness.

“To me, that would have been easy,” Bowen said. “It probably would have taken me another three years to leave again.”

Get the picture?

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‘This Is For Everyone That Has Been Supportive’: Rocco Bowen Hits 1,000-Win Milestone

Rocco Bowen has learned that good things come to those who wait. The native of Barbados was sidelined from a riding incident in September 2018 and was patient to get back in the saddle. He accomplished that goal this past spring and made the choice to ride at Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind., this season. The return has paid off in many ways for Bowen. He is now a member of an exclusive club of jockeys with 1,000 wins in their career.

Bowen had been inching toward the milestone, winning consistently until he got to his 999th victory on Nov. 4. At that point, he was close in several of his 23 races, but it was a pick-up mount in the evening's ninth race at Indiana Grand aboard the Tim Glyshaw-trained Dox Folly that gave him the milestone Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“I even changed my boots today,” said a smiling Bowen regarding the gap between wins. “This sign is going straight to my mom. Thank you to everyone. It's been such a pleasure to be here and everyone has been so welcoming. I want to thank all the agents throughout my career and all the people that have been in my corner. This is for everyone that has been supportive.”

One of the stables that has supported Bowen's return to riding at Indiana Grand is the Paul Holthus Stable. Bowen was interviewed by Paul's wife, Nancy, who serves as the paddock analyst at Indiana Grand. She noted how pleased she was to do the interview to celebrate Bowen's milestone.

“You, Nancy Holthus, have been so welcoming,” said Bowen. “You gave me the same confidence that my mom gives me and she's 1,000 miles away. You encouraged me a few weeks ago when I was down, and I so appreciate that.”

Bowen noted he has felt “at home” since arriving in Indiana.

“For some reason, this has felt like home right off the bat,” added Bowen. “Indiana Grand has been so welcoming and I'm glad to call this new place home. I hope to build my mom a house here and now we are back on track for that.”

Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager of racing, made the winner's circle presentation to Bowen following his win aboard Dox Folly. Bowen is currently among the top 10 jockeys in his first year riding in Indiana, and earlier this season, scored his first stakes win in more than two years at the track. His milestone win was the 36th of the meet and he is less than $120,000 from reaching $1 million in purse earnings this season at Indiana Grand with five racing programs left for 2020.

In all, Bowen has accumulated more than $11 million in purses throughout his career since arriving in North America in 2007. Since that time, he has been among the top 100 jockeys nationally five times with 2017 his best finish in 34th place among all riders in North America.

Racing continues through Thursday, Nov. 19. For more information, go to www.indianagrand.com.

Indiana Grand's Eric Halstrom with Rocco Bowen

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