Amazombie Works for San Carlos

From Santa Anita Publicity ARCADIA, Calif. (Feb. 3, 2012) -- Amazombie stood like a statue in his stall at Bill Spawr’s barn Friday morning, a picture of happiness and contentment. This was less than three hours after the Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion worked six furlongs under the cover of darkness on Santa Anita’s fast main track in a bullet 1:12, with jockey Alex Bisono aboard. It was the fastest of 22 drills at the distance. The average time was 1:14.06.

“Easy, easy, easy,” is how Spawr described the drill in tones bordering on ecstatic. “When he got back to the barn, he was already cooled out. Unbelievable. He’s right on schedule for the San Carlos.”

The San Carlos is a Grade II race at seven furlongs with a guaranteed purse of $200,000 on Feb. 25. Amazombie had been scheduled to make his 2012 debut in the Palos Verdes Stakes on Jan. 21 but an off track forced Spawr to scrap that plan.

“He’ll have two more works before the San Carlos,” Spawr said. “He’ll work three-quarters or seven-eighths next Friday and have one more after that. We’re right on schedule.”

Spawr said he employed Bisono for Friday’s 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.”

Meanwhile, Amazombie, a 5-year-old California-bred gelding by Northern Afleet owned by Spawr and Tom Sanford, is gathering quite a fan base since his Breeders’ Cup victory at Churchill Downs last Nov. 5.

“He gets cards from all over the world,” Spawr said. “We got one from London, and one woman requested a strand of hair from his mane.”

While not quite in the league of Zenyatta when it comes to popularity, Amazombie is becoming a box office draw. “Just in our circle, with friends who have friends who have friends, we probably bring 80 to 100 people to the track when he runs,” Spawr said.