Flash Bak, among top older Quarter Horses, euthanized

Flash Bak, winner of the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos last December and one of the nation’s leading older Quarter Horses, was recently euthanized after being diagnosed with equine infectious anemia, trainer Heath Taylor said on Sunday.

Flash Bak was based at Lone Star Park, near Dallas, when he was diagnosed with the ailment.

Flash Bak was second in the All American Gold Cup at The Downs at Albuquerque on Sept. 2 in his last start. Owned by Sam Valeriano in the final years of his career, Flash Bak won 13 of 33 starts and earned $2,129,638. Flash Bak was 6 and was being pointed to this year’s Champion of Champions, which is worth $600,000 and will be run on Dec. 14.

Taylor, who has one of the nation’s leading stables, has had an outbreak of EIA in his stables at Los Alamitos and Lone Star Park, leading to the euthanasia of 13 horses in his care.

On Saturday evening, Taylor watched two of his leading older horses – Jeriko and Empressum – finish first and second in the $90,000 Robert Boniface Los Alamitos Championship at 440 yards.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Jeriko ($5) won the Los Alamitos Championship by 1 3/4 lengths over 7-10 Empressum, who finished a half-length in front of 22-1 Edberg Verde in a field of six.

The race lost a leading contender earlier on Saturday when Scoops Dynasty was withdrawn because of a bruised foot, trainer Monty Arrossa said in a text message. Scoops Dynasty was a major stakes winner in 2023.

Taylor said that Empressum was nearly withdrawn from the Los Alamitos Championship after a disrupted preparation when he recently became cast in his stall. Empressum underwent two veterinary examinations on Saturday before being cleared to start, Taylor said.

Jeriko, who races for Bobby Cox of Fort Worth, Texas, was timed in 21.49 seconds, and won for the ninth time in his 17-race career. Jeriko, fourth in the 2023 Champion of Champions, has raced against Empressum in his last starts prior to the Los Alamitos Championship.

Empressum beat Jeriko by three-quarters of a length in the Vessels Maturity at 400 yards in July. In the Go Man Go Handicap at 400 yards on Aug. 25, Jeriko finished a nose in front of Empressum, but was disqualified and placed last of seven for causing interference midway through the race.

Jeriko earned a berth to the Champion of Champions with his win on Saturday. Empressum, who won the 2022 Champion of Champions and was named that year’s World Champion, earned a berth with his win in the Vessels Maturity. Empressum was second in the 2023 Champion of Champions.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.