looks like Lava Man packed it in again on the road...?

I keep hearing O'Neill and connections state that they are done shipping, but then they feel the lure and try again with the same old results.

He definitely has had an impressive career, and yes, he shows a bundle of heart on his home turf (and dirt), but he shows that he's a cut below the top level horses.

Nothing to be ashamed of...I feel that he's an overachiever as it is.

As far as the comment about how he'll be in good shape come 2008's Breeder's Cup...that's a stretch. Though it may take place at Santa Anita, that's a year and a half from now and even if his form were to hold up, he'd be facing the caliber of horse that he hasn't shown the ability to defeat.

Yes, that was really disappointing. And I don't see any reason for it. In any race in CA, at the top of the stretch he'd kick it into another gear and pull away. He ran great through the first three quarters of the Dubai world cup, then he just quit. He couldn't even end in the middle of the pack... he got beat by everyone. It's really disappointing to have a horse that you know can do really great things, but who just can't do them outside of his state. Even if they somehow got all the greats to come to CA and Lava Man wins, he's still not better than them... a great horse can win anywhere. Secretariat's last race was half dirt and half turf... that's a great horse... he could run on anything. Maybe Lava Man could do better if they took him to his races about a month before and let him settle in. I know travelling is hard for a horse (travelling half way across the world is hard for anyone and even worse for a horse), but really... there's no excuse for ending completely last in that race.

i know they didn't run him in the big race... oh... i see... i called it the world cup and it wasn't... sorry, i knew they didn't run him in the big race... i just didn't know the name ;oP

It was a dissappointing effort for sure. Doug O'Neill has said that this was his last trip outside of CA. Some horses just don't do very well shipping. There's plenty of races left for him to win in CA and talk that the Breeder's Cup will be at Santa Anita in '08 so I'm sure he'll do just fine.

I'm a big fan of his but I really didn't expect anything yesterday. I thought it was ridiculous that Lava Man and Pletcher's English Channel were co-favored in the U.S. pools, both horses were seriously outclassed by the caliber of international turf horses in the race. Admire Moon is just several class levels above them on the turf.

If he never wins another race it is still a great story. Claimed for 50,000 and goes on to be a Grade 1 winner of millions. So what if he doesn't like to travel, he does very well at home. He is the horse that shows that you don't have to be a multi millionaire to have the big horse one day.

It's disappointing. He trained well in Dubai and led for much of the race, but couldn't stay on. As for Invasor and Bernardini, who knows? Let's hope we get to find out in the Big 'Cap or Pacific Classic. Those are some tough horses, but Lava's pretty tough to beat on his home turf (or dirt).

Disappointing, yes, Corey Nakatani said he wasn't at his best, basically. Then again, those are a very saucy bunch of turfers he faced, and I wasn't completely sure he could deal with them anyway. It makes me think Doug O' Neil and his owners should've run him in the Dubai World Cup. He probably would've been no better than 3rd anyway.

Oh yes I seen that race, and he went in as the favorite too. That sucks he came in dead last and lost to a filly! It was a filly right?

Anyways, he better get his act together soon or his career is going to plummet down.

--melissa--