Amazombie outpaces The Factor to win Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar
A break of almost three months helped Amazombie regain his energy and following an excellent effort, William Spawr’s 6-year-old charge outsmarted The Factor in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on Sunday, July 29th.
Amazombie was an unlucky loser last year, when he got only 29 days to prepare himself for the Bing Crosby after he finished third in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park.
He found a lot of more time between the races for this year’s Crosby. Making the best advantage of this gap, he improved upon his last year’s third-place finish, and outclassed The Factor and the rest of the pack to seal the first place in the $300,000 sprint.
Owned by Thomas C. Sanford and William Spawr, the gelding has been doing a fine job since the start of this season. After ending up third in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes, he quickly raised his game to ensure a classy win in the Grade 2 Potrero Grande Stakes
at Santa Anita.
In his last appearance at Churchill Downs, he missed the gold medal in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes. Perpetuating his good work, he demonstrated a fine show at Del Mar on Sunday.
Amazombie railed under strong handling to gain a handsome lead in the middle stages, proving himself the best on the field. The Factor was considered the strongest contender, but an early mess cut down his chances considerably. Bob Baffert’s 4-year-old colt
bumped just after the start and as a result, failed to make things tough for the leading runner.
On the other hand, Amazombie, under Mike Smith, stopped the clock in just 1:08.65. With the help of an outstanding effort, he beat The Factor by one and a quarter lengths, bagging the first prize worth $180,000.
“He’s stronger. We feel – training him – there’s more muscle to him. He prefers dirt. He ran well today because he’s stronger, but he prefers dirt,” said Bill Spawr.
The rider also expressed delight over his first win in the Bing Crosby. He stated after the race: “It took a good one to get me to the winner’s circle.”
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