Amazombie will make his 2012 debut in the San Carlos Stakes
Eclipse Award sprint champion, Amazombie, finally has a race for the new season to make his seasonal debut, after trainer Bill Spawr refusing to run his champion sprinter in a couple of races which according to him weren’t perfect for the 6-year-old gelding,
but Bill Spawr actually found one worth of Amazombie’s standards, the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at about seven furlongs will on dirt.
The race will commence on 25 February, 2012, at Santa Anita Park, and right now apart from Amazombie, Bob Baffert trained, The Factor, and Sway Away are the probables for the seven furlong dirt sprint.
The California bred son of Northern Afleet, out of mare Wilshe Amaze by In Excess, Amazombie turned in probably his final work ahead of the race, when he ran in the dark at Santa Anita’s fast main track on the morning of 29 January, to cover four furlongs
in 48.40 seconds.
“It was a little faster than we wanted,” trainer Bill Spawr said, “but he did it so easy. My exercise rider (Javier Mesa) got off and he says, ‘Bill, he’s just galloping,’ is all he said”
Amazombie capped off his 2011 season with two back to back wins, starting from the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes at about six furlongs at Santa Anita’s dirt course on 8 October, 2011.
Ridden by jockey Mike Smith, the pair greased down to the wire to land Amazombie’s first Grade 1 win of his career, by downing the likes of Irrefutable in second and Mensa Heat in third, while they covered the distance in 1 minute and 8.24 seconds.
The win at Santa Anita did wonders for Amazombie, as he used the winning momentum in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint also at six furlongs on 5 November, 2011, at Churchill Downs.
Mike Smith on saddle once again, guided Amazombie to a famous win when the pair tackled Force Freeze in the dying stages of the race to edge past him and win it in 1 minute and 9.17 seconds, as the favourite, Jackson Bend, wilted at the last moment to finish
third on the day.
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