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Flashback returns for new trainer Catalano
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Flashback comes back from a 254-day layoff for the "Cat-man"
(Benoit Photo) |
Highly regarded as a three-year-old, Gary and Mary West's Flashback is set to
make his anticipated four-year-old debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Ack Ack H. at
Churchill Downs. The Ack Ack also will be Flashback's first start since being
moved to trainer Wayne Catalano's barn earlier this year.
"We got him around six months ago," Catalano said. "He's been training really
well for us."
Flashback, who the 2013 Robert B. Lewis, missed that year's Kentucky Derby
after a bone chip was discovered in his knee following back-to-back runner-up
efforts in the San Felipe and Santa Anita Derby for Hall of Fame trainer Bob
Baffert.
The son of Tapit returned to action that fall and was beaten a head when
second in the Damascus on the Breeders' Cup Saturday undercard. His last start
was a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu at on December 26.
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"We had a couple of races picked earlier this year and things just didn't
exactly work out right for him," Catalano said. "Then this race was sitting
there and so we decided we'd take a shot."
Catalano said that the ultimate goal if Flashback performs well Saturday
would be the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita on October 31, a
race won last year by former rival Goldencents, who upset Flashback by 1 1/4
lengths in last year's Santa Anita Derby.
"I'll talk it over with my owners," Catalano said. "If he runs well, we may
be looking at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, but we'll see how he does this
weekend first."
The one-mile Ack Ack Handicap is slated as the fourth of 11 races, with an
approximate post time of 2:19 p.m. (EDT).
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