Santa Anita: Flashback starts over in Damascus

ARCADIA, Calif. – The $100,000 Damascus Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday will be the first start for Flashback since a second in the Santa Anita Derby on April 6. A bone chip was detected in a knee in the days after that race, ending Flashback’s chances of a start in the Triple Crown races.

The Damascus Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs is essentially the start of his 4-year-old campaign.

“It’s a good place to start him,” trainer Bob Baffert said Wednesday. “He’s ready.”

Owned by Gary and Mary West, Flashback has won 2 of 4 starts and earned $357,000. After a stylish win in a maiden race last December, Flashback won his stakes debut in the Grade 2 Robert Lewis Stakes here in February. He was second to Hear the Ghost in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 9 before finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind Goldencents in the Santa Anita Derby.

Flashback drew the rail in the Damascus and will be a short-priced favorite in a field of five, all stakes winners. Tour Guide won stakes at Fair Grounds and Sam Houston last winter. Zeewat won the California Derby at Golden Gate Fields in January. Show Some Magic won the Riley Allison Futurity at Sunland Park last December. Anillo won the Jim Kostoff Stakes at the Los Angeles County Fair on Sept. 8.

Baffert was frustrated Flashback drew the rail, the same post he had in the Santa Anita Derby.

“I can’t believe he starts in the one hole,” Baffert said. “He lives in the one hole.”

The Damascus is one of three $100,000 stakes at the start of Saturday’s dynamic 12-race Breeders’ Cup program. First post time is 10:15 a.m. Pacific, with the card starting with the Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes for 2-year-olds over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The race will be the American debut of Love In The Desert, one of three fillies in the field of nine.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Love In The Desert was third in the Empress Stakes at Newmarket, England, on June 29, and fourth in the Group 3 Princess Margaret Juddmonte Stakes at Ascot on July 27, her most recent start. Love In The Desert has been in steady training with Callaghan since September.

“We expect her to run a big race in her first start in the U.S.,” Callaghan said.

Callaghan said he has no hesitation running Love In the Desert against males. She beat males at Thirsk, England, in June.

“I’m comfortable with it, particularly in a sprint,” Callaghan said. “We’re getting some weight from the males.”

Love In The Desert will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the leading rider at the meeting going into Thursday’s program. Love In The Desert will carry 115 pounds, seven less than many of the colts in the field. A successful start from Love In The Desert could lead to an appearance in the $100,000 Miesque Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Betfair Hollywood Park on Nov. 30, run over a mile on turf.

There are two stakes winners in the field – Jedi Mind Trick, who won the I’m Smokin Stakes for California-breds at Del Mar on Sept. 2; and Alpine Luck, who won the Hollywood Juvenile Championship at Hollywood Park on July 13.

Jedi Mind Trick and Alpine Luck start on turf for the first time in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Toowindytohaulrox has won over the hillside turf course, in a maiden race Oct. 6.

The race before the Breeders’ Cup races is the Grade 3 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course.

Trainer Tom Proctor has the field surrounded with stakes winners on the hillside turf course this year. Purim’s Dancer, who won the Wishing Well Stakes here in February, drew the rail. She won an allowance race on the hillside on Oct. 4. Pontchatrain, who won the Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course on Sept. 28 for Proctor, drew the outside post in a field of 13.

Gary Stevens rode both Purim’s Dancer and Pontchatrain in their recent wins. He rides Pontchatrain and said he was fortunate not to draw the inside in a large field.

“I got lucky with the draw,” he said.

The field has seven other stakes winners, including Qiaona, who won the California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course Oct. 12; and Judy In Disguise, who won the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside in February.