Flashback stood his first season at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms, just outside of Lexington, Kentucky, and his book filled fast. I know, because I wanted to breed my Stormy Atlantic mare to him, but I was too late. The word was out that this was an exceptionally good-looking son of Tapit, and breeders were offered incentives to breed to him. Though his biggest win was the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis S., another three-year-old sensation, Goldencents, barely beat Flashback in a thrilling Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby.

On July 8, Flashback had his first winner—Owning, who took a maiden special weight at Los Alamitos in his first out for Reddam Racing. The colt created a comic sensation at OBS April, where he sold for $260,000 even though the word “green” doesn’t do justice to his eccentric style. He still recorded a 10 1/5 breeze. Bred by Hill ‘n’ Dale, he fetched $60,000 at Fasig Tipton’s October yearling sale, quite a good sale for that venue.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, his first race still showed signs of meandering greenness, yet he won by 2 ½ lengths. Once Owning understands that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, he will be formidable indeed. He is out of the Forestry mare Meridian Mama, and from the immediate family of Belmont winner Touch Gold.

Flashback himself stands for $5000 stands and nurses, or $7500 payable out of proceeds, a more than reasonable tag for this fast and handsome young stallion. His full sister is the Grade 1 winning Zazu, who likewise adorned every track she ran on with her beauty and size, and their pedigree features inbreeding to both Mr. Prospector and Nijinsky II, making Flashback an ideal mate for Storm Cat-line mares like Owning’s dam.

-- Roberta Smoodin