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The 2006 champion, Lava Man, in an attempt to match legendary Native Diver with his third consecutive victory in Saturday’s $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I), will face eight rivals in the 1 1/4-mile classic at Hollywood Park.
Lava Man drew number 8 post Wednesday morning. The richest horse following a claim in history, the 6-year-old gelding enters the Gold Cup with 16 wins and earnings of $4,739,706 in 39 starts. He would surpass the $5 million mark with a victory.
Lava Man, who will carry high weight of 124 pounds in this year’s Gold Cup, won it in 2005 by a record 8 3/4 lengths and a year ago by a nose. He will be conceding from four to 12 pounds to his rivals on Saturday. Leandro Mora, Doug O’Neill’s top assistant, will saddle Lava Man in his date with destiny.
“Doug is vacationing in Ireland with his wife and mother and won‘t be back until Monday,†explained Dennis O’Neill, assistant to his brother. “They planned the trip in January and were locked into those dates.”
Lava Man, who became the richest claimer with his victory in the 2006 Gold Cup, finished second most recently while running 10 furlongs on turf in the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (gr. IT), a race he won last year. The effort signaled he is back in form after a disappointing effort in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-I) in March.
“You know it’s funny because it was a little disappointing afterward, but coming back off that race in Dubai, knowing how well he was doing over there and how bad he ran, it was a huge sigh of relief,†said Dennis O’Neill. “He ran huge.â€
Lava Man has become a California sensation since being claimed, winning grade I races on dirt and turf. He set a course record of 1:44.26 for 1 1/8 miles in the 2006 TVG Khaled Stakes at Hollywood Park. Claimed at the behest of Steve Kenly, he has won 13 of 26 starts since then, including nine straight races in California prior to the second to After Market in the Whittingham.
The Gold Cup will run as the tenth of eleven races on Saturday’s program at Hollywood Park with a 4:50 post time. First post time is at 12 noon.
On the undercard, 9-year-old sensation The Tin Man will aim for an unprecedented third victory in the $250,000 American Handicap. He won the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile in his 2007 debut on Memorial Day.
$750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup Race Entries, Post Position, and Jockeys:
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. My Creed (KY), 117, Russell A. Baze
2. A. P. Xcellent (KY), 115, Mike E. Smith
3. Saint Stephen (KY), 115, Jose Valdivia, Jr.
4. Porfido (CHI), 112, Joel Rosario
5. Molengao (BRZ), 120, Victor Espinoza
6. Wilko (KY), 115, Joseph Talamo
7. A. P. Arrow (KY), 116, David R. Flores
8. Lava Man (CA), 124, Corey S. Nakatani
9. Big Booster (KY), 113, Michael C. Baze
Tags: Gold Cup, Lava Man, Hollywood Cup
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