Bred and raced by Isabel Dodge Sloane's Brookmeade Stable, she was out of the mare Flower Bed and sired by the unraced British stallion Alibhai, who became a significant sire in the United States of other good runners such as 1954 Kentucky Derby winner Determine, the 1958 American Champion Older Female Horse Bornastar, plus Your Host and Traffic Judge, among others.
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Preston Burch, Flower Bowl was an excellent runner at longer distances.
[2] Flower Bowl was retired to broodmare duty at Darby Dan Farm in the spring of 1957.
Her top foals were: After giving birth to His Majesty, on the following morning of April 18, 1968, Flower Bowl began hemorrhaging and died after efforts to save her proved futile.
[4] The Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park is named in her honor.