Cherry Stables

Flashback , a grade II-winning son of leading sire Tapit , has been retired and will stand in 2015 at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington.

 

The striking gray 4-year-old was model of consistency as a racehorse. The colt posted a 2-3-1 record from seven career starts that includes his 6 1/4-length triumph in the 2013 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) around two turns in just his second start.

 

He subsequently finished second in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) and was sent off the favorite in the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), in which he was runner-up to Goldencents  while sustaining an injury. He amassed career earnings of $405,730.

 

"He was brilliant, striking to look at, and by Tapit. I think he is a great sire prospect," said Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who conditioned Flashback during the majority of his career for Mary and Gary West.

 

"We will be supporting Flashback with carefully chosen mares we own and will purchase mares specifically to breed to him," Gary West said. "We are all in on Flashback as well as our other stallions, and will unveil an innovative incentive-laden program in the coming days to let breeders know how much we covet their support and stand with them when they breed to our stallions.

 

"Between Flashback, New Year's Day, and Power Broker, we offer promising grade I stallions with superb race records and pedigrees at unrivaled value."

 

Flashback is out of the winning Mr. Greeley mare Rhumb Line and is a full brother to multiple grade I winner Zazu and a half brother to stakes winner Corinthian's Jewel and group II-placed Art Princess. Rhumb Line's juvenile Tapit colt was the co-sale-topper at $1.6 million at the 2014 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training.

 

"Flashback is an extremely athletic and smooth horse," said John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale. "He is a great physical horse with brilliance, pedigree, and by Tapit, the most important sire in North America. Combined with the West's commitment to both support the horse and incentivize breeders, we think he will be a standout choice in the marketplace and have every chance to become an important sire."