STD Racing Stable’s and Jason Wood’s multiple Grade 1 winner Lava Man was honored as the California-bred Horse of the Year for the second consecutive year at the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s annual meeting and awards dinner on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington in Pasadena, California.

The six-year-old Slew City Slew gelding, who earlier was honored as California’s champion older male, won seven straight starts in 2006, including the first-ever sweep of the Santa Anita (G1), Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), and Goodwood Breeders’ Cup (G2) Handicaps. The streak was snapped when he finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1), his only defeat in 2006.

Lava Man also proved his versatility on the turf in 2006, capturing the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (G1) and the TVG Khaled Stakes, earning California turf champion honors to round out his awards. 

Other finalists for California-bred Horse of the Year, which was not announced until the awards dinner, were TVG Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Thor’s Echo, who was honored as California’s champion sprinter, and Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Brother Derek, who was honored as California’s champion three-year-old male.

Hollywood Starlet Stakes (G1) winner Romance Is Diane was honored as California’s champion two-year-old female, and multiple stakes winner Pirates Deputy was honored as the state’s champion two-year-old male.

Stakes winner Bai and Bai was honored as California-bred champion three-year-old female, and stakes winner Moscow Burning was honored as champion older female.

Heinz Steinmann’s Swiss Yodeler was honored as champion sire of California-conceived foals by earnings and champion California-conceived two-year-olds by earnings. Bertrando was honored as champion sire of California-conceived foals by number of winners, and Tribal Rule was honored as champion freshman sire of California-conceived foals by earnings.

 Martin and Pam Wygod were honored as the champion breeders of California-foaled Thoroughbreds by earnings, and Doug O’Neill was named outstanding trainer.

Also at the banquet, the late breeder John Mabee, his wife, Betty, and their multiple Grade 1-winning gelding, Best Pal, were inducted into the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Hall of Fame. Former breeder and legislator Ken Maddy and three-time Grade 1 winner Free House also were inducted into the CTBA Hall of Fame.