If you look up the name Lava Man on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s website (NTRA.com), the word “Retired” still stands in bold red next to the 8-year-old gelding’s name. Although this is merely an oversight by NTRA, Lava Man’s biography on this website stands as a metaphor for the racing industry’s outlook on the comeback of this gutsy gelding. Lava Man was officially retired in 2008, one year after his last race, when he finished 6th place in the Grade I Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar. Originally, Lava Man’s retirement wasn’t due to his waning performances (he hadn’t won since the 2007 Hollywood Gold Cup, his record-tying third win of this renewal), but for his “problematic” ankles. But now, thanks to state-of-the-art procedure that injected stem cells into the horse’s ankles to regenerate cartilage and tissue, Lava Man has been issued a clean bill of health and has ‘the ankles of a 3-year-old.’
But does that mean he should return to racing?
Lava Man’s story is one worthy of an entire book, and it’s hardly an exaggeration to call him a modern-day Seabiscuit, though that term is thrown about like the label of “champion” in racing. To do justice to his life accomplishments, I would need more space and time than a 1,000-word article could afford; instead, I will relay the basics to those who are new to this amazing horse tale:
The Daily Racing Form sums up his race legacy thusly: “17 wins in 46 starts, seven Grade I wins, and earnings of $5,268,706. He retires as the third-richest California-bred in history behind Tiznow ($6,247,830) and Best Pal ($5,668,245).” Three of those Grade Is came in the Hollywood Gold Cup; Lava Man etched himself in history as tied with the great Native Diver for the only horses ever to win that race three times.
And he started this blazing career as a $50,000 claimer. 11 months after he was claimed, this bay gelding was winning his first Grade I victory, and went on to make his mark in the record books. It’s sufficed to say, Lava Man is one of the greatest rags to riches stories in American Thoroughbred history.
He was scheduled to be turned out to pasture this year, even had a reservation at Old Friends, a Thoroughbred retirement farm in Lexington, Kentucky, but then, Lava Man gave his trainer Doug O’Neill the impression he was not ready to say goodbye to the track. Thus, the treatment on the gelding’s ankles began. Now, O’Neill says, “He really took to the treatment and it has done wonders for him. The doctor said that he is and will be the strongest horse in my barn. I couldn’t put into words how good he looks and how happy he seems to be back in training.” O’Neill told The Thoroughbred Times, “If and when he runs, all of the trainer earnings will be donated to CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) so people don’t think this is all about greed.”
This Saturday, the living Lazarus will make his return to racing in the Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park, an ever-so-apt comeback race, should Lava Man’s story continue to mirror Seabiscuit’s. Though the race is a Grade III, the field for the Native Diver is shaping up as strongly as the previous years’ renewals of the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup; contenders are Square Eddie, Neko Bay, Mast Track, Tres Borrachos, and Irish import High Court Drama.
Running a horse in a graded stakes race after a 15-month layoff would be a huge undertaking for any horse, but at his best, Lava Man could soundly defeat a field twice this salty. His connections have said they didn’t want to bring back the champion to anything but the highest level of races, so it is perceivable that if Lava Man doesn’t perform well in the Native Diver, he may only have one more shot to prove a comeback is in his best interest. Like the decision for him to return to the races or not, we will have the privilege of seeing this grand older horse at least one more time, and that in itself is worth celebrating. If Lava Man is happiest galloping down the track, win or lose, he owes us nothing, and we owe him our thanks for his brilliance time and time again.
The Grade II Native Diver Handicap will air live on TVG at approximately 3:35pm PT.
UPDATE: Lava Man was scratched from the Native Diver Handicap due to inclement weather.