INGLEWOOD, Calif. (April 18, 2008) - Three-time Hollywood Gold Cup winner Lava Man will lead the charge for trainer Doug O'Neill's stable on the $1.3-million Cal National Gold Rush IX program Sunday, April 27, at Hollywood Park.
Lava Man, who equaled the great Cal-bred Native Diver with his third consecutive victory in the Gold Cup in 2007, will run on turf in the $150,000 TVG Khaled Stakes as he returns from a layoff of close to six months. The 7-year-old won the Khaled two years ago in course record time of 1:44.26 for 1 1/8 miles.
Lava Man, who has been re-united with four-time Gold Cup-winning groom Noe Garcia, was turned out following a sixth-place finish in the Cal Cup Classic on Nov. 3.
"His coat is as good as ever and he is carrying good weight and moving real fluidly," O'Neill said. "Just the energy level . . . we have a night watchman who has to tie him up a few times during the night because he gets real playful. We're walking him more. He's showing a lot of enthusiasm - a lot of energy - and those were all things that were kind of lacking his last few starts."
Lava Man was without Garcia following the 2007 Gold Cup when the groom had his left arm severed in a car accident near Del Mar. Garcia is now back to the role he is so familiar with - rubbing Gold Cup winners. Besides Lava Man, he was groom of 2002 Gold Cup champion Sky Jack.
"We've got Noe back rubbing on him every day, which is huge," O'Neill said. "It really feels like we have the Lava Man we had going into the Pacific Classic. Now with the layoff and everything, hopefully we will see the performances we saw before the Pacific Classic."
O'Neill will keep Lava Man on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track leading to the Khaled even though the turf course will be available for workers beginning Sunday.
"He loves it," O'Neill said of Hollywood Park's synthetic surface. "We just want to keep him building and building."
Lava Man, owned by STD Racing and Jason Wood, is the third-leading California-bred earner of all-time behind Tiznow ($6,427,830) and Best Pal ($5,668,245) with a bankroll of $5,214,706. He has won 17 of 43 starts, including 14 of 30 since being claimed by the outfit in August of 2004 at Del Mar. Corey Nakatani, who has ridden the gelded son of Slew City Slew in his last 16 starts, will be aboard in the Khaled.
O'Neill, winner of six training titles at Hollywood Park, will be busy on the Gold Rush program. With the exception of the $200,000 Melair Stakes, he has prospective starters in each of the major races on the ten-race card.
Others he is planning to run include Harlene and One Chin Again in the $250,000 Cal National Snow Chief Stakes, Mistical Plan in the $150,000 B. Thoughtful Stakes, and Charm N Broad and Swiss Current in the $150,000 Fran's Valentine.
J. Paul Reddam's Notional, who finished off the board in the Dubai Duty Free, breezed a half-mile here recently, and could return Gold Rush Day.
"He might run in the ($150,000) Tiznow with (Garrett) Gomez up," O'Neill said. "There is a strong chance."
The Cal National Gold Rush IX program, which includes a Guaranteed $1-million Pick Six and a Pint Glass giveaway, will conclude the first week of racing at the 60-day Spring/Summer Meet. First post time on Gold Rush Day is 12:30 p.m.
