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Amazombie, the 2011 Eclipse Award-winning male sprinter, topped the Santa Anita work tab Feb. 3 with a handy six-furlong drill in 1:12 flat as he nears his initial start of the year.
The move, under the cover of darkness early in the morning with Alex Bisono aboard, was the fastest of 22 recorded at the distance. Trainer and co-owner Bill Spawr has picked up the pace recently with Amazombie, who went four furlongs Jan. 29 in :48 2/5.
Spawr confirmed that the 6-year-old gelding is being pointed to $200,000 San Carlos Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Feb. 25. Spawr scratched Amazombie from the Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 21 when the track was sealed after an early-morning rain storm.
“Easy, easy, easy,” is how an ecstatic Spawr described the drill. “When he got back to the barn, he was already cooled out. Unbelievable. He’s right on schedule for the San Carlos.”
The bay son of Northern Afleet out of the In Excess mare Wilshe Amaze has not raced since winning the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. He won Santa Anita's Ancient Title Stakes (gr. I) prior to the Breeders' Cup.
“He’ll have two more works before the San Carlos,” Spawr said. “He’ll work three-quarters or seven-eighths next Friday (Feb. 10) and have one more after that. We’re right on schedule.”
Spawr said he employed Bisono for the latest work “because he’s light and he’s got a good clock (in his head). I told him to go 1:14, he went 1:12. The horse does that because he does it so easy.”
Bisono, who tacks 115 pounds, called the drill “awesome.”
Amazombie, whose career mark stands at 10-4-5 in 23 starts with earnings of more than $1.5 million, has posted eight published workouts at Santa Anita since Dec. 16.
Gregg Anderson bred Amazombie, who is co-owned by Thomas Sanford, in California.
Across town at Hollywood Park Feb. 3, Malibu Stakes (gr. I) winner The Factor , also a candidate for the San Carlos, worked five furlongs in 1:11 4/5 for trainer Bob Baffert. It was the quickest of seven moves at the distance over the Cushion Track.
