Amazombie, Aegean upset Sunshine Millions dashes

Amazombie narrowly proved best in his stakes debut (Benoit Photos) A pair of Grade 1 winners took it on the chin Saturday in the two Sunshine Millions sprint races, both settling for minor awards. The most surprising of the two upsets occurred in the $200,000 Sprint at Santa Anita, where 3-5 favorite Cost of Freedom (Cee's Tizzy) set improbable fractions of :20 4/5 and :42 3/5 before weakening to third. Thomas Sanford and Bill Spawr's AMAZOMBIE (Northern Afleet), who improved his position at each call after rating in fourth along the rail down the backside, edged past the favorite late and held off a gallant, middle-of-the-track bid from Apriority (Grand Slam) by a head. The final time for six furlongs over the lightning-fast strip was 1:07 1/5. Amazombie, dismissed as the 11-1 fifth choice in a field of eight, returned $24.80, $8.40 and $8.40. Trained by Spawr, the California-bred was ridden by Mike Smith. The 5-1 Apriority was a head in front of Cost of Freedom, who had 2 3/4 lengths on Don Tito (Trippi). Cayambe (Helmsman), Quick Enough (High Brite), Excessive Passion (Vronsky) and Dance With Gable (Dance Floor) rounded out the order of finish. "I probably could've stayed down (on the rail) and followed Cost of Freedom, but I knew the closers would be coming and we made them fan out a little bit, which helped," said Smith, who guided the five-year-old off the inside around the far turn.

Bred by Gregg Anderson, Amazombie was making his stakes debut in the Sunshine

Millions. He had previously won five times in overnight company, most recently

in a six-furlong allowance/optional claimer on the Hollywood Park turf December

5. His record now stands at 15-6-3-2, $308,708.

Produced by the winning Wilshe Amaze (In Excess [Ire]), a half-sister to

multiple stakes winner Flom's Prospector (Native Prospector), Amazombie is a

half-brother to an unnamed juvenile filly by Golden Gear. This is the family of

multiple stakes winner and Grade 2-placed Al the Doctor (Valiant Dancer).

The first race of the Sunshine Millions series, the $200,000

Filly

and Mare Sprint at Gulfstream Park, was won by Steven Michael Bell's AEGEAN

(Northern Afleet), who held off a belated inside challenge from Jessica Is Back

(Put It Back) to win by a nose under Jeffrey Sanchez. Never more than two

lengths off the leaders while tracking four wide down the backside, the 9-1

chance moved into contention around the far turn, took a slim lead in the

stretch and fought gamely to last in a time of 1:09 3/5 over the fast main

track. She returned $20.20, $9.40 and $6.

"The plan was to let the speed go and take a hold of her and sit about a length

off the pace," Sanchez said. "She waited a little bit on the other horses in the

stretch, but when I hit her with the whip left-handed she really took off."

Jessica is Back, last season's Princess Rooney H. (G1) winner, was sent off

at 13-1 following a disappointing effort in the Sugar Swirl S. (G3) two weeks

ago. She responded better this time, saving ground throughout and narrowly

missing with a final lunge. She had three parts of a length up on the

lightly-raced Feel That Fire (Lightnin N Thunder), a 6-1 chance who edged 62-1

shot Musical Romance (Concorde's Tune) for third. Feel That Fire had traded

leads with Wildcat Heiress (Wildcat Heir) through splits of :22 1/5 and :45, but

couldn't quite hold on in an encouraging stakes debut.

Following Musical Romance were 6-5 favorite Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook), who

was making her first start since running second in the Acorn S. (G1) last June,

North Rodeo (Stephen Got Even), Belle of the Hall (Graeme Hall), Broken Dreams

(Broken Vow), Wildcat Heiress and My Irish Girl (Closing Argument). Sweetlalabye

(Sweetsouthernsaint) was scratched.

Aegean captured her first two starts, including the Kentucky Juvenile S. (G3)

against males, but following an unsuccessful trip to Royal Ascot in England it

would be more than a year before she entered the winner's circle again. Her form

began to take a turn for the better last fall when she finished third in the

Flashy Lady S. at Remington Park, which was then followed by a 7-1 upset score

in the Dream Supreme S. at Churchill Downs, the site of her Grade 3 win the year

before. She preceded this with a fifth in the Lightning City S. at Tampa Bay

Downs on the turf. Her record now stands at 13-5-0-2, $329,532.

"She was very good in her first two races. It took a long, long time to get her

back on her best game after the trip to England, but she started to get going

good last fall winning the race at Churchill Downs on Breeders' Cup weekend,"

trainer Wesley Ward said. "The goal this year will be the (Breeders' Cup) Filly & Mare Sprint

(G1)

at Churchill. I want to space her races out pretty good from here, so I don't

have anything picked out just yet."

Bred by Vegso Racing Stable in Florida, Aegean was a $70,000 yearling

purchase at OBS August. She is the first foal from the Aptitude mare Apt to

Star, who has reared a juvenile filly named Park Star (Good Reward) and a

yearling full sister to Aegean. Aegean's second dam is stakes victress Sweeping

(End Sweep), and she comes from the family of Grade 3 winners Sky Terrace

(Skywalker), I Rejoice (Lord Gaylord), Millencolin (Dehere) and I'm a Thriller

(Tri Jet).