Lava Man
 

Please...time to retire him!

he should at least get an extended break.

He's done enough . . . he really has.

For once that comment is true.

Why is it that when a horse loses it's time to retire him?

You realize in the 3 races he's run since the Hollywood Gold Cup win, that he hasn't done dick right? Maybe give hima layoff til the Sunshine Millions? Otherwise retire him.

Had this been his first failure to get the distance needed, you would probably have more people on your side of the argument. He's backed up badly in his most recent races. A blind man could even see that his form is in sharp decline. They've tried to shorten him up, he fires a dud. They try to lessen the quality of his foes, he fires a dud.
I think it's tough for people to remember back to just last year, when this horse was winning every G1 thrown his way. Now, he's relegated to G2's and non graded stakes, and not running to his old self's capabilities. Granted, those G1's were all in Cali, but those were the horses put in his way, and he handled them accordingly. This just isn't the case anymore. He lacks his closing kick, his bread and butter. The ability to sit nicely with a tactical trip, and then pounce on the pace setters, leaving them in his dust. When a horse of his calibur loses that, it's time to hang it up. Not enter him in any race just to gather purse money.
In his prime, the boy could run. Noone can ever take that away from him. Could't ship if his life depended on it, but that's how the game goes sometimes. When your entered in a claimer race one year and then accrue as much as he did the next few, what more can we ask of him? Here's to a great California career.

i've been thinking it's time to give him a break. rest him up a while. he hasn't had time off in a while....
freshen him up. then we'll see.



besides, this sport is too quick to send a horse to retirement. just give him a bit of r and r. then see how he does.

Forget The Rest, Retire The Old Warrior, Greed Kills!

greed? i thought those who retired a horse after about eight starts were greedy??

if the horse is sound, i say again, there is NO reason to retire him. maybe he feels as i do right now, sick to death of where i work. at times it gets that way, hopefully for him and me both, it will pass....

give him a break, then see.

but enough please with the 'greed' comments. people don't get into racing for GREED, they oftentimes get OUT due to the red ink.

Maybe he's sick of California! :D

mmmmm....nah.
i think he just needs a break. i do!
have the week after t'giving off. if i make it that long. looking forward to 11 days off.
if i don't just walk out first.

There are plenty of horses with much worse decline in form than Lava Man that are still running.

He could still like to race and it's just that he's slow.

When horses he has beaten handily in the past blow by him? Puhleeze!

Definitely should have a break, at least until next spring, and a thorough going over from a vet. Let him just be a horse for a while. It can work wonders for the attitude.

At this point they are facing the perfect storm. Lavaman can't ship and he can't run on synthetic.. Bay Medows ?

I dont think he cant run on syntheics as much as he have stopped trying and his owners wont let him have a break. Lava Man will be headed to the claiming ranks. Sad his owners are so greedy and cant see that he needs a break from the track.

Oneill quotes in bloodhorse article that he is going to get some rest at a farm. I would think that when he does come back around Hollywood Park time he will be pointed to turf races on the pool table course....