Lava Man

[Gander]

Very surprised this horse gets no mention on this board. Won his 2nd straight on the turf yesterday in dominant fashion. Done absolutely nothing wrong this year, quickly asserting himself as easily the best older horse in training.
Yet absolutely no threads about this guy. Amazing.

[Scurlogue Champ]

I just mentioned him.

I'll copy and paste.

The most impressive to me was Lava Man.

Regardless of whether he is "an eagle...a BALD EAGLE"

This horse should be the most popular thing in America right now. Grade one winner on turf and dirt...front running.

He is starting to remind me of an Aussie horse named Might and Power. If he keeps this up he will be very similar. The Aussies loved that horse and we should do the same with Lava Man.

[Scav]

The bald eagle comment was because Whittingham was nicknamed such, that is why Vic said that

[FlaFemFatale]

I just mentioned him.

I'll copy and paste.

The most impressive to me was Lava Man.

Regardless of whether he is "an eagle...a BALD EAGLE"

This horse should be the most popular thing in America right now. Grade one winner on turf and dirt...front running.

He is starting to remind me of an Aussie horse named Might and Power. If he keeps this up he will be very similar. The Aussies loved that horse and we should do the same with Lava Man.


Why should I LOVE this horse ? I have never loved a west coast horse...frauds, running against 5-horse fields most of the time.
Leading up to the TC we heard how the west coast had all the best contenders............Bo Derek; Bob Your Johnson; Cause To Deceive; the "Pointer" brothers; not to mention Stevie Wonderbread.
Blah !!!!!

[Scurlogue Champ]

The bald eagle comment was because Whittingham was nicknamed such, that is why Vic said that

Regardless of why, it was supremely gay

[Scurlogue Champ]

Why should I LOVE this horse ? I have never loved a west coast horse...frauds, running against 5-horse fields most of the time.
Leading up to the TC we heard how the west coast had all the best contenders............Bo Derek; Bob Your Johnson; Cause To Deceive; the "Pointer" brothers; not to mention Stevie Wonderbread.
Blah !!!!!

You should love him because he is really good....

And it seems that he gives his all everytime out.

[kentuckyrosesinmay]

Why should I LOVE this horse ? I have never loved a west coast horse...frauds, running against 5-horse fields most of the time.
Leading up to the TC we heard how the west coast had all the best contenders............Bo Derek; Bob Your Johnson; Cause To Deceive; the "Pointer" brothers; not to mention Stevie Wonderbread.
Blah !!!!!


Lava Man is a very good horse that has been showing superb form lately. Lava Man is an older horse and all the others you mentioned were three year olds. Cause to Believe has never been a top three year old contender for the TC races. Bob and John's is limited to 1 1/8 mile distances. Stevie Wonderboy won the BC Juvenile on the east coast before he got hurt. Hopefully, he will be back. Brother Derek got two very good fourths in two TC races and a fourth in the BC Juvenile when his trips were horrible. He will win more stakes races. Bob and John won the Wood Memorial. Sinister Minister won the Bluegrass Stakes. He was also a west coast horse.

[FlaFemFatale]

Lava Man is a very good horse that has been showing superb form lately. Lava Man is an older horse and all the others you mentioned were three year olds. Cause to Believe has never been a top three year old contender for the TC races. Bob and John's is limited to 1 1/8 mile distances. Stevie Wonderboy won the BC Juvenile on the east coast before he got hurt. Hopefully, he will be back. Brother Derek got two very good fourths in two TC races and a fourth in the BC Juvenile when his trips were horrible. He will win more stakes races. Bob and John won the Wood Memorial. Sinister Minister won the Bluegrass Stakes. He was also a west coast horse.


What are you telling me that I don't know? I know Lava Soap is an older horse; I referred to the others as contenders for the TC (and I'm quite aware that that means they are 3 yr olds). Where was Bo's two "very good" 4ths in the TC races?
"BJ" won the Wood and hasn't been seen within shouting distance since.
You just made my point....they were all the "top" contenders till the going got rough.
I'd like to have a dollar for everytime I heard Cause To Deceive had everything you need to win the Derby...of course that was before he left the friendly confines of Northern Cal.

[kentuckyrosesinmay]

What are you telling me that I don't know? I know Lava Soap is an older horse; I referred to the others as contenders for the TC (and I'm quite aware that that means they are 3 yr olds). Where was Bo's two "very good" 4ths in the TC races?
"BJ" won the Wood and hasn't been seen within shouting distance since.
You just made my point....they were all the "top" contenders till the going got rough.
I'd like to have a dollar for everytime I heard Cause To Deceive had everything you need to win the Derby...of course that was before he left the friendly confines of Northern Cal.

There is no need to call the horses names. All of these horses earned their way into the TC races, and there aren't very many that make it to that level. Also, very few liked Cause to Believe for the Derby. He is a very nice little horse that got a good third in the Illinois Derby to a very very good horse in Sweet Northern Saint. The TC is over. It is time to start looking toward the summer/fall campaign. I bet when Brother Derek comes back rested, he is going to make some noise. Bob and John could beat a lot of these horses at lesser distances than the TC races. Point Determined will also probably improve with time. I see him as that kind of horse. And what do you mean where were Brother Derek's two good fourths in the TC races? Did you not see how much trouble the horse got in? He was the second best horse in the Derby based on his trip.

[2Hot4TV]

Why should I LOVE this horse ? I have never loved a west coast horse...frauds, running against 5-horse fields most of the time.
Leading up to the TC we heard how the west coast had all the best contenders............Bo Derek; Bob Your Johnson; Cause To Deceive; the "Pointer" brothers; not to mention Stevie Wonderbread.
Blah !!!!!
Soar Grapes........ Lava Man is a good horse and I agree that he nees to take his game on the road, but to HATE race horses based on the track that they call home?????????

[Suffolk Shippers]

Regardless of why, it was supremely gay

post of the day :cool:

[Gander]

What a stupid response, we shouldnt like Lava Man because hes from the West and the 3 year olds from out there this year arent really all that good. Its his fault horses like Bob & John become favorites in triple crown races. Geez. If he wins out the rest of the year including the BC Classic we shouldnt give him horse of the year because Bob & John's poor results in the triple crown. That makes total sense.

[FlaFemFatale]

There is no need to call the horses names. All of these horses earned their way into the TC races, and there aren't very many that make it to that level. Also, very few liked Cause to Believe for the Derby. He is a very nice little horse that got a good third in the Illinois Derby to a very very good horse in Sweet Northern Saint. The TC is over. It is time to start looking toward the summer/fall campaign. I bet when Brother Derek comes back rested, he is going to make some noise. Bob and John could beat a lot of these horses at lesser distances than the TC races. Point Determined will also probably improve with time. I see him as that kind of horse. And what do you mean where were Brother Derek's two good fourths in the TC races? Did you not see how much trouble the horse got in? He was the second best horse in the Derby based on his trip.


Bro will make some noise alright....oink,oink. So he had a rough trip in the Derby;he was used to beating up on 5-horse fields before that.Evrey year about 10 horses get rough trips in the Derby...no excuse (Jazil's jockey lost an iron yesterday at the start...still went on to win).
BJ couldn't beat Platinum Couple, but becuase he held the lead awhile yestreday, he's gonna be a terror at shorter distances ??
My point(taken)...for the third time....is that the West Coast horses were talked about as the top contenders for the TC (one knowledgable "talker" stated that Barbaro was a turf horse and not fast enough to win the Derby).

[2Hot4TV]

Regardless of why, it was supremely gay
Some people can go to Hollywood and come back just fine, some never come back and those are gay. I personnally never go to Hollywood.

[FlaFemFatale]

What a stupid response, we shouldnt like Lava Man because hes from the West and the 3 year olds from out there this year arent really all that good. Its his fault horses like Bob & John become favorites in triple crown races. Geez. If he wins out the rest of the year including the BC Classic we shouldnt give him horse of the year because Bob & John's poor results in the triple crown. That makes total sense.


And you are?????
Look Mr O'Neill,all I said was West Coast horses get a lot of unwarranted hype. I said nothing about not giving him HOY; you give me a big "IF".If he wins this ;if he wins that.
AND, I DID'T say YOU shouldn't like him or YOU shouldn't give him HOY..........................., but you did say that I should love him.
Fugettaboutit.

[miraja2]

Are they planning on keeping this horse on the grass or moving him back to the dirt?

[Gander]

Ultimately his main goal is the BC Classic. So I bet he goes next in the Pacific Classic.

[2Hot4TV]

Are they planning on keeping this horse on the grass or moving him back to the dirt?
The big picture is the Breeders Cup Classic. Now that this horse has won so much money I don't think the purses will dictate when and where they run. This horse has been able to rise to the top from the claiming ranks, lose his top form and come back to the top. This is what is really special about this horse and now to show it on dirt and turf.

[miraja2]

Apparently he got the lead yesterday and was allowed to run the first 1/2 uncontested in 49.91. Was it a slow track there yesterday, or did he just catch a break?

[2Hot4TV]

Apparently he got the lead yesterday and was allowed to run the first 1/2 uncontested in 49.91. Was it a slow track there yesterday, or did he just catch a break?
The turf was fast, but not as fast as the first part of the meet. P. Val brought Kings Drama right to him from the start and it look like he was going to make a race of it, but when Cory gave Lava Man his head he RAN away from the field with ease. Very impressive. The closing 1/2 was 45/1

[Gander]

Didnt really matter, he would have beat this field in any such pace scenario over any track bias. A horse came to him on the far turn and he swatted him away like a mosquito. Hes a very special horse in this day in age of the sport, where hardly any top quality horse runs on both turf & dirt, and hangs around to his age.

[FlaFemFatale]

The turf was fast, but not as fast as the first part of the meet. P. Val brought Kings Drama right to him from the start and it look like he was going to make a race of it, but when Cory gave Lava Man his head he RAN away from the field with ease. Very impressive. [B]The closeing 1/4 was 45/1[/B


That's awful slow for a 1/4 (pedestrian). My grandma does that.;)

[Gander]

So did the mighty Pommes Frittes yesterday at Belmont, opened up a huge lead only going 1 mile, running pedestrian fractions, and still couldnt hang on.

[2Hot4TV]

That's awful slow for a 1/4 (pedestrian). My grandma does that.;)
If he's such a slow horse then I think you and your friends should send grandma out west to take home the grade 1 cash. The rest of the nation is not coming out west for a number of excuses, and ploy track won't change it.

[Crown@club]

Anyone talk about the call in the stretch for Lava Man?

They were laughing hysterically in the Club House at Ellis. It was great!

[oracle80]

So did the mighty Pommes Frittes yesterday at Belmont, opened up a huge lead only going 1 mile, running pedestrian fractions, and still couldnt hang on.
Tim Please ok? You are gonna compare fractions set on a deep yielding course to fractions set on the rock hard turf course out there? Lava CRAWLED the pace CRAWLED!!! Today in the 5th race at Hollywood, a non winners of 2 allowance race, they ran a mile much quicker than lava's split for the same distance. Todays was 22 and change, 45 and change, 1 09 and change, 1 21 and change and 1 33 and change for a mile.
You cant just watch one race at a track without knowing how fast a course or track has been playing and accurately compare it with a soft deep course across the country. Lava race was nice yeah, but he sure didnt meet much, and you must be crazy to actually call him the best older horse. See the thing is I seem to remember that horse coming east last year to th eJCGC and dead heating with the ambulance. He beat horses of a much lesser qulaity yesterday. I suppose on the weeds out there hes the best.
But tell him to give EC, RG, GS, and cacique a ring if he wants to meet the best.
I absolutely love that horse though, too bad so many of these California wonder horses lose the wings they seem to have once they step on a plane and head east. WOnder why, hmmmmmm???

[oracle80]

If he's such a slow horse then I think you and your friends should send grandma out west to take home the grade 1 cash. The rest of the nation is not coming out west for a number of excuses, and ploy track won't change it.
yeah, I know, what great horses huh? Did you know that NONE Of the heralded Cali 3 year olds even hit he board this year in the TC? LOL!!
Oh and balance sure set the world on fire when she shipped east, hmmm.
Care to enlighten me which Socals have made an impact this year on teh national scene? Cause quite frankly, other than Bordanaro and LITF, both sprinters, I cant think of any.

[FlaFemFatale]

If he's such a slow horse then I think you and your friends should send grandma out west to take home the grade 1 cash. The rest of the nation is not coming out west for a number of excuses, and ploy track won't change it.


Get glasses. The man quotes 45 something for the quarter. Now I know he made a mistake (or at least i think so) but most quarters are run in the 20's.

Oracle is right.He beat little in the Whittingham; and his trip out here to "real horsie country" didn't change my mind.

By the way, I may be dense, but what is "ploy track"?

[2Hot4TV]

yeah, I know, what great horses huh? Did you know that NONE Of the heralded Cali 3 year olds even hit he board this year in the TC? LOL!!
Oh and balance sure set the world on fire when she shipped east, hmmm.
Care to enlighten me which Socals have made an impact this year on teh national scene? Cause quite frankly, other than Bordanaro and LITF, both sprinters, I cant think of any.
And which east coast horses have made an impact out west this year?

[Kasept]

By the way, I may be dense, but what is "ploy track"?

FFF,

Orca is the internet's worst typist.. "Poly Track" is the reference...

It helps to be dyslexic when reading Orca's posts.. That way many of the garbled letters appear where they should actually be... ;)

[2Hot4TV]

Anyone talk about the call in the stretch for Lava Man?

They were laughing hysterically in the Club House at Ellis. It was great!
The locals are telling Vic to just call the race and drop the color.

[2Hot4TV]

Get glasses. The man quotes 45 something for the quarter. Now I know he made a mistake (or at least i think so) but most quarters are run in the 20's.

Oracle is right.He beat little in the Whittingham; and his trip out here to "real horsie country" didn't change my mind.

By the way, I may be dense, but what is "poly track"?
Got glasses,but at my AARP age I don't spend alot of time proof reading the text. You don't know it , but Oracle does, Lava Man is the money machine that the east coast stables don't want to meet on his home tracks.

[Gander]

Jockey Club was a funny race. FLower Alley got thumped and came back with a nice little race in the BC Classic, Bishop court Hill ran last and came back to be a grade 1 winner this year. Heck even the Sun King has run great twice since. So what the heck does it matter how Lava Man ran in the Jockey Club, a race where only 1 horse did any running? Grade 1 winner on dirt & turf, how many other horses can you say that about?

[Gander]

While I agree the field in yesterday's Manhattan towered over the race where Lava Man won, there were still 2 grade 1 winners in there that the Laza Man beat... Kings Drama and Sweet Return. Heck, Kings Drama won a big race here at Saratoga last summer so to most that would make him a super horse.

[oracle80]

FFF,

Orca is the internet's worst typist.. "Poly Track" is the reference...

It helps to be dyslexic when reading Orca's posts.. That way many of the garbled letters appear where they should actually be... ;)


LOL!! I'm a two fingered typist whose brain works a lot quicker than his fingers. I can assure you that I can spell and use proper grammar quite nicely. Its just that on a horse racing internet message board, I really don't care. Sorry about the "ploy Track".

[oracle80]

While I agree the field in yesterday's Manhattan towered over the race where Lava Man won, there were still 2 grade 1 winners in there that the Laza Man beat... Kings Drama and Sweet Return. Heck, Kings Drama won a big race here at Saratoga last summer so to most that would make him a super horse.
Tim thats really a stretch. I agree, a grade one winner is always a grade one winner, But it would be like beating Funny Cide now and saying you beat a grade one winner. CURRENT form is really the only way to judge the type of competition that a horse beats. Sweet return, Tim, Please. The poor horse is just in awful shape and not even a shadow of his former self. Kings drama isn't exactly sharp as a knife either.
Lava man is a neat horse, a horse who runs on both surfaces and runs fast and displays great heart. But hes gotta win a race outside of Cali for me to even consider him in the upper echelon in either division.

[FlaFemFatale]

LOL!! I'm a two fingered typist whose brain works a lot quicker than his fingers. I can assure you that I can spell and use proper grammar quite nicely. Its just that on a horse racing internet message board, I really don't care. Sorry about the "ploy Track:.


Nothing to be sorry about.....you didn't write it.:p

[chromer]

Ultimately his main goal is the BC Classic. So I bet he goes next in the Pacific Classic.

His next race is most likely the Hollywood Gold Cup.

Pacific Classic isn't until August.

[foggyfan]

I thought he looked fantastic. He's such a beauty. And I was impressed that when King's Drama challenged, he just dug in and kept going.

[Lastkidpickedingymclass]

I thought he looked fantastic. He's such a beauty. And I was impressed that when King's Drama challenged, he just dug in and kept going.

He really did show some heart, in addition to his beauty. I bet $2.00 on him to win and got back $3.80. The $1.80 in winnings paid for my pretzel on the way out of the track.

It was a great day for me.:)

[pgardn]

mISS fatal.

If you think Brother Derek is a pig because of his "poor" showings in the TC races, you too are a short term thinker with no patience. Unless something is physically wrong with this horse, and if he keeps proper development, you WILL hear from this horse again. He will be givin a good rest, and barring injury, this horse will be a force. The tide will turn in the other direction and you will be eating your pork oinks. What goes around comes around. Now that the hyped up TC is over, we got horses coming in for big stakes races that avoided the rigor of all, or most of the TC races. And we got the horses that ran that will be rested waiting for later stakes and a BC chance that are very talented like BD. The storm looms.

As far as Lava Man goes, he has not looked too great outside Cali, but I still have a soft spot for these tough guys.

[copying]

Is there ANY doubt that if you compared west coast horses going east and winning compared to the other way around (either 2006 or going back 1 year) that the westerners would hold at least a 2, or 3/1 advantage? And how is it that once a Cacique or Grey Swallow goes east and beats the eastern chump (English Channel), now they're adopted as eastern horses and Lava hasn't faced the likes of such.

[Dunbar]

Winning on both dirt and grass trumps the inside-outside California blemish. Are there two surfaces more different than dirt and grass? That is, would winning on dirt in both Calif and NY be more impressive than winning Gr I's on dirt and grass in Calif? Not IMO.

It's not like he's been scoring these wins while running slowly. He's tied for 2nd best Beyer of the year on dirt, behind only Sinister Minister's Keenland-aided 116. On grass, no horse has a better Beyer than Lava Man's 108 in the Whittingham.

I love the horse even though he's cost me money. I bet him in that NY race last year, and my BC future on Lava Man became instantly worthless at the same time.

If there were a Horse-Of-the-Half-Year award, it would have to be Lava Man. But lots of things can happen in the 2nd half of the year. I noticed, for example, that Flower Alley put in a very nice work yesterday or the day before.

--Dunbar

[exquisitequine]

Is there ANY doubt that if you compared west coast horses going east and winning compared to the other way around (either 2006 or going back 1 year) that the westerners would hold at least a 2, or 3/1 advantage? And how is it that once a Cacique or Grey Swallow goes east and beats the eastern chump (English Channel), now they're adopted as eastern horses and Lava hasn't faced the likes of such.

Dude! You are soooooo right. Plus some of my favorites are in the west. I love Impy too.