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Sprint champion Amazombie to join Old Friends roster

Sprint champion Amazombie will live out his days at Old Friends Farm in Kentucky (Benoit Photos) Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends, announced Sunday that 2011 champion male sprinter Amazombie, who was retired from racing earlier this year, will be pensioned at the Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. It was announced last week that leadin winner Game On Dude, an earner of nearly $6.5 million, will be sent to Old Friends, and it was determined that the superstars will make their cross-country journey together in the coming weeks via H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Company. Details on the arrival of both Amazombie and Game On Dude will be announced shortly.

A California bred, Amazombie was campaigned by the partnership of Tom Sanford and trainer Bill Spawr. A gelded son of Northern Aflleet, Amazombie achieved his first stakes win at age five in the 2011 Sunshine Millions Sprint at Santa Anita with Mike Smith aboard.

Smith teamed with Amazombie again for the bay gelding's first graded stakes win in the 2011 Potrero Grande, which was followed by victories in the Tiznow at Hollywood Park and Ancient Title at Santa Anita. The banner year culminated with a win in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs and an Eclipse Award in the sprint division.

The following season Amazombie returned for a repeat win in the Potrero Grande and a third Grade 1 victory in the Bing Crosby at Del Mar. In all, Amazombie captured 12 of 29 starts and earnings of more than $1.9 million.

"It's wonderful to have another great Breeders' Cup champion joining Old Friends," Blowen said. "Amazombie has a huge fan base here and we're looking forward to their visiting. We want to send a special thanks to trainer Bill Spawr for taking such great care him and for entrusting him to us."

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