How Good Is He?
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geowarrior
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How Good Is He?
Just saw Lava Man win the Santa Anita Handicap. How good is he really?
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wallinga
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Re: How Good Is He?
geowarrior wrote:Just saw Lava Man win the Santa Anita Handicap. How good is he really?
quite good
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nferro9925
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He's a great story. A former claimer with a blue collar pedigree makes it big. He has been very consistent as well. Hopefully, he can continue performing like he has been. He's great for racing. Not only does he give the common breeder hope, but he givings race fans something to get excited about. He isn't going to be whisked off to the breeding shed. It's been awhile since a horse like him has come along. I really hope he can stick around for many years to come.
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geowarrior
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And now we have the three opinions that I expected to see:
a) He's a really really good horse
b) He's a good regional horse in California
c) He's only a good horse with Californian 'supplements'
So what would it take for him to universally be considered a good horse? The BC Classic? Or any race outside CA?
a) He's a really really good horse
b) He's a good regional horse in California
c) He's only a good horse with Californian 'supplements'
So what would it take for him to universally be considered a good horse? The BC Classic? Or any race outside CA?
Foggytrip wrote:If he could win outside California that would be nice. Even the Cleveland Browns won away from home last year.
Doesnt it seem strange that a horse who wins x amount of races in a row cant win away from California? He doesnt just not win, he gets drilled.
Doesn't it seem strange to you that the same trainer has no problems wining elsewhere with other horses? Let's see, I can think of Notional, Great Hunter, Thor's Echo, Stevie Wonderboy etc etc.
Perhaps the horse just doesn't ship well. I know that I don't ship well either
Foggytrip wrote:If he could win outside California that would be nice. Even the Cleveland Browns won away from home last year.
Doesnt it seem strange that a horse who wins x amount of races in a row cant win away from California? He doesnt just not win, he gets drilled.
It doesn't diminsh his accomplishments in my mind. Lava Man is one of the greatest claims in the history of racing right up there with Stymie(who still has to be considered the greatest claim in history of racing). Many horses ship into California and flop including the great Seattle Slew. 2-3 years ago the future HoY Saint Liam shipped in for the 'Big Cap and ran poorly. Yet, few held it against him as he went on to win the BCC that year. I was just happy to see someone(Dutrow and connections) still had the guts to ship a top horse out to California and try the west coast competition irregardless of how they ran. Racing has become such a game of "gutless wonders" that's it's refreshing to see a few people have a bit of risk taking left.
As for LM... what can you say? He may never win a HoY title or Championship but he is well on his way to becoming the "Horse of the Decade". And he may just be a better horse on the turf then dirt which is unusual to see as he races mainly on the dirt the past couple years. I won't be surprised if they try him out of state one more time perhaps in the DWC or Arlington Million... or perhaps both. Truly a remarkable story and claim... LM is the "American Dream" come to life.
