Santa Anita: Amazombie gearing up for BC repeat in Sprint Championship

The $250,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Saturday is expected to be led by Amazombie, the winner of the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs and the champion sprinter last year.

Amazombie won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar on July 29 in his last start.

The six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship is part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offering a fees-paid berth he Breeders’ Cup Sprint to the winner.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship field is expected to include Reneesgotzip, the 3-year-old filly who won the CERF Stakes, and Capital Account and Coil, who were one-two in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 26.

Bob Baffert trains Capital Account and Coil.

South American preps for Marathon

The South American stakes winner Calidoscopio has been sent to Hollywood Park in preparation for the $500,000 Breeders’ Cup Marathon on Nov. 2.

Trained by Guillermo Frenkel, the 9-year-old Calidoscopio is based with trainer Mike Puype, who has assisted Frenkel’s staff in acclimating the horse to Southern California racing. Frenkel will arrive in California before the Breeders’ Cup.

Calidoscopio won the Clasico Belgrano in Argentina in June, earning a fees-paid berth to the BC Marathon through the Win and You’re In program. The BC Marathon will be Calidoscopio’s first start in the United States.

Calidoscopio has been trained in California using some South American methods.

“They galloped him the other day on the training track without a saddle,” Puype said. “They’ve got their own ways.”

Puype could have a runner in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in Upbeat Mood, who was fifth in the Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Sept. 3. She won a maiden race over five furlongs on turf at Hollywood Park in June.

Upbeat Mood is scheduled to make her next start in the newly created $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies over a mile on turf on Oct. 8. The $1 million BC Juvenile Fillies Turf is run over a mile on Nov. 2.

◗ Jockey Chantal Sutherland is changing hats on Monday evening. She will replace her riding helmet with a baseball cap to throw out the first pitch at the San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers game at Dodgers Stadium.

Sutherland’s participation is part of Breeders’ Cup night at Dodgers Stadium. During the game, highlights of past Breeders’ Cup races will be shown.

◗ John Scott, the winner of the Harry Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 1, worked six furlongs in 1:11.60 at Santa Anita on Friday.

Owner-breeder John Harris said that John Scott will be pointed for the $175,000 California Cup Classic on Oct. 13 as a prep for a possible start in the BC Dirt Mile on Nov. 3.