Horseman Carl Bowling, who campaigned City Zip and previously was a board member of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company, died July 26 after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident in the North Georgia mountains where his family enjoyed many summers. He was 84.
While Bowling was one of the Florida horsemen in early on the pinhook game—he would pinhook 1997 Horse of the Year Favorite Trick—a horse he didn't sell would say a lot about Bowling's ability to evaluate a young runner.
Bowling's Straightaway Farm would land City Zip for $9,000 as a short yearling at the 1999 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. Bowling would then offer City Zip at the 2000 OBS February selected 2-year-olds in training sale, where he would fail to meet reserve despite a bid of $80,000.
Bowling would later tell Daily Racing Form that he was not going to let City Zip go for less than $100,000 at that sale, noting he had seen the son of Carson City blazing around the training track at his farm.
"A lot of people came to me and said you only paid $9,000; you're getting 10 times your profit back," Bowling said. "What I paid has nothing to do with the value of the horse. He cannot read; he does not know what I paid for him."
The decision would prove out as City Zip, raced by Bowling and some partners, would win eight stakes, including the 2000 Hopeful Stakes (G1). As a 2-year-old, he swept four consecutive sprint stakes in New York—the Tremont (G3), Sanford (G2), Saratoga Special (G2) and the Hopeful.
City Zip, who in 2014 would finish among the leading sires, is a half brother to 2004 Horse of the Year and successful sire Ghostzapper. Bowling also is the breeder of 2006 Lane's End Stakes (G2) winner With a City, a son of City Zip. Bowling trained horses for some 20 years, including a number of stakes winners such as Awesome Too.
Bowling's family noted that he always enjoyed sharing his knowledge of horses with others.
"Carl has been a very respected horseman, known for his knowledge of horses, his foresight into how to help promote the racing industry, and his ability to choose top racing prospects," the Bowling family said in an obituary sent to BloodHorse. "Even more than those accomplishments, Carl was always ready and willing to help others succeed in this tough industry. He was always there to help anyone that asked, and has enjoyed seeing those he shared his knowledge and passion of the industry with, to succeed."
A celebration of life is scheduled at 3 p.m. Aug. 1 at Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee, Fla.
The family said donations may be made on Carl's behalf to the Ocala Farm Ministry, 489 NW 110th Avenue, Ocala FL 34482 www.ocalafarmministry.org. The family knows not everyone can attend the celebration of life, so they will be live streaming it at www.bevisfh.com.
