Flashback out of Derby with knee chip

Flashback, second as the even-money favorite in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, will miss the Kentucky Derby due to a chip

in his right knee, trainer Bob Baffert reported Sunday night.

The gray son of Tapit will have surgery to remove the chip and is expected to make a full

recovery. Baffert revealed that Flashback should return to training in 60 days

in preparation for a return to the races later this year.

Always highly regarded, Flashback has been favored in each of his four career

starts. After a 3 1/2-length score in his December 8 premiere at Hollywood Park,

he romped by 6 1/4 lengths in the February 2 Robert B. Lewis in his stakes and

two-turn debut.

Flashback suffered his first loss when second in the March 9 San Felipe, the

victim of a wicked speed duel. He subdued pace rival Goldencents, only to be

nailed late by Hear the Ghost. In the aftermath, jockey Julien Leparoux lost the

mount aboard Flashback.

The Santa Anita Derby was to feature a rematch, but Hear the Ghost was

himself knocked off the trail by a knee injury on Thursday. Flashback got the

desired tracking trip with new rider Garrett Gomez, but he could not reel in

Goldencents and settled for the runner-up spot, beaten 1 1/4 lengths.

Flashback, who has compiled a mark of 4-2-2-0, $357,000, ranked seventh on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" Leaderboard

with 70 points.

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