NEWS
Lava Man shifted to turf
for return in San Gabriel
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009 5:33 PM
LAVA MAN
Benoit & Associates photo
by Ron Parker
The long-awaited return to the races of Lava Man is scheduled for Sunday at Santa Anita Park in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap (G2), and trainer Doug O’Neill is cautious about the three-time Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) winner’s prospects after 17 months away from the races.
“We’ll be happy to run one, two, or three,” O’Neill said.
Lava Man was scheduled to make his return in the Native Diver Handicap (G3) at Hollywood Park on December 12, but O’Neill was concerned with the possible effect rain might have on Hollywood’s synthetic Cushion Track surface.
“It’s a little different than what he’s been training on,” O’Neill said after scratching Lava Man from the Native Diver. “We didn’t want to take any chances.”
O’Neill is changing surfaces by opting for the San Gabriel, which is run on Santa Anita’s turf course. Six opponents will try and spoil Lava Man’s return in the 1 1/8-mile contest.
The eight-year-old Slew City Slew gelding was to be pensioned at Old Friends, a Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, after finishing sixth in the 2008 Eddie Read Handicap (G1) at Del Mar.
But those plans changed as Lava Man underwent a series of stem-cell procedures to regenerate cartilage in surgically repaired ankles.
Most notable among the opposition in the San Gabriel is Proudinsky (Ger). Second in the 2007 San Gabriel before winning the race last year, his only other start on Santa Anita’s turf course also resulted in a victory.
Owned by Johanna Louise Glen-Teven, the three-time graded stakes winner also will have sentimental backing. Since last month, he has been trained by Humberto Ascanio after the death of his boss, Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.
Proudinsky enters off a fourth-place finish in the Citation Handicap (G1) at Hollywood Park, where finished 2¼ lengths behind winner Fluke (Brz).
Perhaps the most intriguing contender is Wildenstein Stable’s Loup Breton (Ire). The five-year-old Anabaa horse, a multiple group winner and Group 1-placed in France, made his U.S. debut for trainer Julio Canani with a rallying victory at Hollywood Park in a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance race on November 19.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Acclamation (Unusual Heat), David Romero Flores, 113, Donald Warren, 9-to-2;
2. Cherokee Artist (Cherokee Run), Jeremy Rose, 116, H. Graham Motion, 8-to-1;
3. Proudinsky [GER] (Silvano [GER]), Rafael Bejarano, 119, Humberto Ascanio, 5-to-2;
4. Lava Man (Slew City Slew), Tyler Baze, 119, Doug F. O'Neill, 7-to-2;
5. Great Siege [IRE] (Rock of Gibraltar [IRE]), Victor Espinoza, 113, David E. Hofmans, 15-to-1;
6. Sir Dave (Untuttable), Joel Rosario, 113, Jack Carava, 15-to-1; and
7. Loup Breton [IRE] (Anabaa), Garrett K. Gomez, 119, Julio C. Canani, 9-to-5.
