A gray/roan son of Tapit, this Bob Baffert trainee competed in just a handful of starts. Though he lacked in career longevity, he proved himself to be a consistent racehorse who showed up to compete.

Making his debut at Hollywood Park's autumn meeting in December of 2012, Flashback emulated his sire as a first-out winner. Entered in a seven furlong sprint, he stayed close to the leaders before making a nice move for the lead in the stretch to win going away in a flashy performance. That was his lone start at two, but he was back to the races the following February in the Grade II Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita. It was a small field, but Flashback was all business. He took the lead early and guided the field around the Arcadia oval the rest of 1 1/16 mile contest, making it two in a row as he staked his claim as an early Kentucky Derby hopeful.

Flashback took Santa Anita's traditional prep route to the Run for the Roses. Next up came the Grade II San Felipe Stakes im early March. Favored for the third straight race, Flashback spent the first part of the race on the inside, trailing the leader by a few lengths. After getting onto the backstretch, he moved to second, staying close to Goldencents, who took over the front. The two hooked up just before the final stretch, and thrilled the fans with an amazing battle for supremacy, going head to head in front of thousands. Flashback won the battle, but lost the war, getting nosed out for the win by Hear the Ghost. Still, it was a gutsy performance that gave him some battle testing, an important skill to have come Kentucky Derby time.

Four weeks later, Flashback and Goldencents met up again, this time in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby at nine furlongs. Again, Flashback tracked the leaders, running on the inside for a significant part of the race. He made his move in the far turn, making a bid outside to win the Golden State's biggest Kentucky Derby prep. But Goldencents turned the tables, holding Flashback at bay in the stretch to avenge his San Felipe defeat.

A knee chip kept Flashback from appearing in the Triple Crown series, but he made a full recovery after surgery and returned to racing on the Breeders' Cup Saturday undercard in early November. Facing four rivals in the seven furlong Damascus, Flashback surprisingly stayed well off the pace before rallying in the stretch for a fine second to Zeewat in another electrifying stretch battle at Santa Anita. His three-year-old finale came on December 26 in Santa Anita's perennial opening day feature, the Grade I Malibu Stakes. Just like the Damascus, he came from well off the pace, but this time he had too much to do as he finished fourth after passing several horses late.

Only one start would comprise Flashback's four-year-old campaign, and it also turned out to be his only start outside California. Making his 2014 debut in the Grade III Ack Ack Handicap in September at Churchill Downs, he took third in the one mile event. That turned out to be Flashback's career finale, for he was retired shortly after the Ack Ack.

In a seven start career, Flashback retired with two wins, three seconds, and one third, and earned more than $400,000. He was sent to Hill 'n' Dale farm in Kentucky for stud duty, and has gone on to sire the stakes placed Boujie Girl (third in the 2018 Grade I Del Mar Debutante), Forever Changed (second in the 2019 Arctic Queen Stakes at Finger Lakes), and 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Eclipse Award winner British Idiom.

Currently, Flashback is standing at Diamond B Farm in Pennsylvania, moving there from Hill 'n' Dale after the 2018 breeding season. Though he did not have a long career at the races, maybe he will be a successful stallion for many years to come. And perhaps several of his future offspring will inherent his consistency and join him as a stakes winner as well.

Sources:

Blood-Horse Staff. "Flashback Retired to Stand at Hill 'n' Dale. The Blood-Horse, September 15, 2014. https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/111902/flashback-retired-to-stand-at-hill-n-dale

Mitchell, Eric. "Flashback Relocated to Diamond B Farm in Pennsylvania." The Blood-Horse, November 8, 2018. https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/230637/flashback-relocated-to-diamond-b-farm-in-pennsylvania