Trainer Bill Spawr said he's now undecided on a start in the Palos Verdes Stakes (gr. II) for Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Amazombie after the 6-year-old gelding worked six furlongs in 1:15 3/5 at Santa Anita Jan. 14.
“He started slow but finished fast,” Spawr said of the Eclipse Award finalist as the nation's top sprinter. “I’m not sure I’m running (in the Palos Verdes).”
The $150,000 Palos Verdes will be contested at six furlongs Jan. 21.
Amazombie, who has won 10 of 23 lifetime starts with earnings of more than $1.5 million, went to the track before the sun came up and drilled over a fast main track.
Earlier in the week, Spawr said Amazombie was probable for the Palos Verdes, though he also was considering a couple of other options for the 2012 bow of the California-bred son of Northern Afleet .
Spawr, who owns Amazombie in partnership with Tom Sanford, mentioned the Toboggan Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Feb. 4 and a race Spawr has won three times, the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park April 14.
Eclipse Award winners will be announced Jan. 16 during an evening dinner ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, an event Spawr and an entourage will attend. But he’s not counting any honors before they hatch.
“Maybe we’ll win it,” he said. “I keep hearing that Caleb’s Posse will win, but looking at his record, I’m not impressed with the horse except for his Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) win at Churchill Downs. The only (sprint) races he ran well in were at Saratoga (victories in the Grade II Amsterdam and the Grade I Kings Bishop). Take those out of it and he’s just a horse.
“In the Breeders’ Cup, Caleb’s Posse was cross-entered in the Dirt Mile and the Sprint, but ran in the Mile, so he had an option but (they) chose to run in the Mile, not the Sprint, so what is that telling you?”
