Lava Man is apparently back with Doug O'neill at Hollywood Park. I'm on my blackberry today so can't cut and paste but the article is on the TIA website and maybe one of you interested Californians could cut and paste it for anyone else who is interested.
I am surprised because the last bit of news I saw about Lava Man was that he was going to one of the retirement farms in KY. I kind of wish they would just let him stay retired. I saw him last spring and he looked, how shall I word this, like a shadow of his former self. CA regulations have changed since his heyday and I can't see him competing at his former level.
Wish they would just let him retire in peace.
Lava Man
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Lava man comeback
SEPTEMBER 21, 2009
A Thoroughbred Info Exclusive: The Return Of Lava Man
I guess $5 million isn’t enough.
Seven-time Grade 1 winner Lava Man, a former claimer who ascended the ranks to become the California Horse of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the only Thoroughbred in history to win a Grade 1 race on dirt, turf and all-weather surfaces, has returned to the barn of trainer Doug O’Neill at Hollywood Park to prepare for a comeback, 14 months after he originally ended his career.
The 8-year-old Slew City Slew gelding was retired in July 2008 with a lifetime record of 46-17-8-5 and $5,268,706 in earnings — all but about $100,000 of which he accrued after he was claimed at Del Mar for $50,000 in August 2004 by the ownership group of STD Racing Stable (Steve, Tracy and Dave Kenly) and Jason Wood. Over the next four seasons, he dominated the West Coast older male division, eventually attaining a position as the third-highest California-bred earner of all time, behind only two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow ($6,427,830) and inaugural Pacific Classic winner Best Pal ($5,668,245). He also sealed his status as the most lucrative claim in racing history.
Although Lava Man, a fan favorite, raced in locales as far away from home as Japan, Dubai, Kentucky, Florida and New York, he lost those five races by a combined total of 122 1/2 lengths, only achieving success within the friendly confines of California.
His last victory was in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, 2007 — his record-tying third win in Hollywood Park’s signature race. But he was never the same afterward. The classy gelding strung together consecutive losses in six Southern California stakes races, running sixth, sixth, sixth, third, third and, finally, sixth and last in Del Mar’s Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap on July 20, 2008 before his connections mercifully decided to end his career.
After Lava Man said goodbye to the racetrack, he was sent to Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, California. In an effort to increase his comfort level, he underwent arthroscopic surgery at nearby Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center to remove bone chips from his ankles, followed by stem cell therapy to help prevent the future onset of lameness and arthritis.
Last September, it was announced that Lava Man would live out a much-deserved life of leisure at the Old Friends equine retirement facility in Kentucky. But that trip east never materialized. After galloping at Magali in recent months, he is now back in his old barn at Hollywood instead.
Godspeed, good boy.
A Thoroughbred Info Exclusive: The Return Of Lava Man
I guess $5 million isn’t enough.
Seven-time Grade 1 winner Lava Man, a former claimer who ascended the ranks to become the California Horse of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and the only Thoroughbred in history to win a Grade 1 race on dirt, turf and all-weather surfaces, has returned to the barn of trainer Doug O’Neill at Hollywood Park to prepare for a comeback, 14 months after he originally ended his career.
The 8-year-old Slew City Slew gelding was retired in July 2008 with a lifetime record of 46-17-8-5 and $5,268,706 in earnings — all but about $100,000 of which he accrued after he was claimed at Del Mar for $50,000 in August 2004 by the ownership group of STD Racing Stable (Steve, Tracy and Dave Kenly) and Jason Wood. Over the next four seasons, he dominated the West Coast older male division, eventually attaining a position as the third-highest California-bred earner of all time, behind only two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow ($6,427,830) and inaugural Pacific Classic winner Best Pal ($5,668,245). He also sealed his status as the most lucrative claim in racing history.
Although Lava Man, a fan favorite, raced in locales as far away from home as Japan, Dubai, Kentucky, Florida and New York, he lost those five races by a combined total of 122 1/2 lengths, only achieving success within the friendly confines of California.
His last victory was in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, 2007 — his record-tying third win in Hollywood Park’s signature race. But he was never the same afterward. The classy gelding strung together consecutive losses in six Southern California stakes races, running sixth, sixth, sixth, third, third and, finally, sixth and last in Del Mar’s Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap on July 20, 2008 before his connections mercifully decided to end his career.
After Lava Man said goodbye to the racetrack, he was sent to Magali Farms in Santa Ynez, California. In an effort to increase his comfort level, he underwent arthroscopic surgery at nearby Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center to remove bone chips from his ankles, followed by stem cell therapy to help prevent the future onset of lameness and arthritis.
Last September, it was announced that Lava Man would live out a much-deserved life of leisure at the Old Friends equine retirement facility in Kentucky. But that trip east never materialized. After galloping at Magali in recent months, he is now back in his old barn at Hollywood instead.
Godspeed, good boy.
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going4stamina
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- Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2007 8:07 pm
Really? I question his true soundness, and I cringe at the impact this has on the sport. I just don't see him regaining G1 or maybe even G2 form. More likely he runs in listed stakes and moves down to claimers...worst case___________?
Highlighting the industry's greed and an owner's seeming lack of concern for a horse that brought him millions of dollars--fan favorite at that?
Get a rope for that dope. I hope Lava Man can save himself from these jerks.
Highlighting the industry's greed and an owner's seeming lack of concern for a horse that brought him millions of dollars--fan favorite at that?
Get a rope for that dope. I hope Lava Man can save himself from these jerks.
Maybe Lava Man is one of those horses who loves the track environment and frets in retirement. Ancient Title, another great Cal favorite, was like that; he never successfully adapted to the life of a pensioner and spent his few retirement years pacing the fence in a solitary paddock because he couldn't get along with the other geldings at the farm. The great 19th century gelding Parole was another who seemed to miss racetrack life and was actually sent back to the racing stable for a while following his official retirement. He never raced again but did make one exhibition under silks before going back home for good -- by that time, his people had figured out that he simply liked lots and lots of attention, and they made sure he got it.
Even if Lava Man never races again, maybe he'd like to be a trainer's pony and stay in the familiar confines of Shed Row. Has anyone here visited him in retirement? Might shed some light on what's going on; if he didn't seem happy in retirement, maybe they're hoping that he might perk up again at the track. I'd certainly hate to think there's nothing more going on except trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of the old boy.
Even if Lava Man never races again, maybe he'd like to be a trainer's pony and stay in the familiar confines of Shed Row. Has anyone here visited him in retirement? Might shed some light on what's going on; if he didn't seem happy in retirement, maybe they're hoping that he might perk up again at the track. I'd certainly hate to think there's nothing more going on except trying to squeeze a few more dollars out of the old boy.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
I think Mahubah is right, he probably did not adapt well. If he wasn't so famous I would suggest retraining him for hunter paces, and other fun stuff. There are other occupations for Thoroughbreds. But to take a relatively young horse from near the top of his game and stick him in a paddock with old geezers would be like putting a 35 year old in a retirement home. Boring, stifling, awful.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
I certainly hope both Mahubah and Madelyn are right. I can definitely relate to being stuck in a retirement home when you are still young and verile. I would just think that there would be something he could do and still be a horse with dignity that didn't entail going back to the rigors of racing. When I last saw him he was standing in his stall with both front legs packed in ice. That was about 6 months after his retirement and before his chip operation. I saw him in his last race and he was absolutely not the same animal physically as the one I had seen earlier in his career.
Things have changed in CA and I just hope his owners and trainer will stop on him if it is evident he is not able to perform at a reasonably high level. Frankly I'd love to see him in listed stakes. Don't care if he is not at the group level any more. But to stick him into claiming level races would be disgraceful.
So I hope it all works out for him. He was always one of my favorites.
Things have changed in CA and I just hope his owners and trainer will stop on him if it is evident he is not able to perform at a reasonably high level. Frankly I'd love to see him in listed stakes. Don't care if he is not at the group level any more. But to stick him into claiming level races would be disgraceful.
So I hope it all works out for him. He was always one of my favorites.
madelyn wrote:I think Mahubah is right, he probably did not adapt well. If he wasn't so famous I would suggest retraining him for hunter paces, and other fun stuff. There are other occupations for Thoroughbreds. But to take a relatively young horse from near the top of his game and stick him in a paddock with old geezers would be like putting a 35 year old in a retirement home. Boring, stifling, awful.
Why not retrain him as a hunter, if he turns out to like jumping? Can't see why fame should be an impediment; Kelso seemed to enjoy that as part of his retirement, and more recent retiree With Anticipation seems to have taken to the field with enthusiasm. Maybe some creative thinking could be applied: Australian G1 winner Subzero was very popular as a trick horse and breed ambassador before his death, and that certainly kept him interested in life.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
