STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood’s LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew) tracked Congrats
(A.P. Indy) through the opening six furlongs of Saturday’s $750,000
Hollywood
Gold Cup (G1) and then overcame the pacesetter with a vicious assault, quickly
opening up an insurmountable advantage into the stretch and drawing clear to a 8
3/4-length victory. Winner of the Californian S. (G2) in his previous start, the
Doug O’Neill-trained four-year-old earned his second graded stakes win and
completed 1 1/4 miles over the fast track in 1:59 3/5 with jockey Pat
Valenzuela.
Sent off the 6-1 third choice, the California-bred winner paid $14, $6.60 and
$4 for his impressive score. Borrego (El Prado [Ire]), who was off at 7-1,
caught 5-2 second choice Congrats in deep stretch and was good for $7.40 and
$4.40. Congrats, who set early splits of :22 4/5, :47 and 1:10 4/5 before being
inhaled by Lava Man, finished another length back in third and returned $3.80.
The $1 exotics totaled $48 (exacta), $201.20 (trifecta) and $2,280 for the
7-2-6-8 superfecta that included 29-1 Musique Toujours (Musique d’Enfer) in
fourth.
East Coast invader Limehouse (Grand Slam), the 6-5 favorite, wound up fifth
and was followed under the wire by Keep on Punching (Silver Deputy), Deputy Lad
(Mecke), Anziyan Royalty (Anziyan) and PT’s Grey Eagle (Pleasant Tap). Al Arz (Brz)
(Roba Fina) remained in the barn.
Bred in the Golden State by Lonnie Arterburn, Eve Kuhlmann and Kim Kuhlmann,
Lava Man was claimed for $50,000 at Del Mar last August. He captured the Derby
Trial S. at Fairplex Park in his first start for O’Neill and recorded runner-up
finishes against state-breds in Cal Cup Classic H. and On Trust H. before
wrapping up his sophomore campaign with an excellent second to Rock Hard Ten
(Kris S.) in the seven-furlong Malibu S. (G1).
The dark bay gelding, who is out of the winning Li’l Ms. Leonard (Nostalgia’s
Star), brought a two-race winning skein into Saturday’s event, his first attempt
at 10 furlongs, and exited the prestigious affair with a lifetime mark of
24-7-7-2 and $908,039 in earnings.
The $1 million Pacific Classic (G1) on August 21 is the next likely goal for
Lava Man.