At this point, where are you going to run him at where he can win? They tried state breds two and three back on both turf and poly and both were losing performances.

This isnt just some horse...this is lava man. This is a horse that has won his owners over 5.2 million dollars. This is a horse with a legacy. Why cheapen it?

If they are going to keep running him, they should try stretching him out and going long. The pace of the shorter races is just too much at this point and he is just not going to be competitive.

Personally, i think he has earned himself a nice retirement.

Wadsworth Memorial Handicap then retirement....

Melbourne Cup is where he should go

Kentucky Horse Park.

This horse is done.

And he's done enough for them that they should know when to say when.

Personally, I'd ask my horse.

Go ahead and laugh, but that's what I would do.

I think Lava Man would say he still wants to play. And if that's what he says, I'd find him spots to win.

Lava Man ran in California Fair racing. I don't think he's too particular.

Let's just watch him run.


(for the record today, he was not as badly beaten as the chart might show.....)

I would have Richard Mandella train him

Why not race him. Find 4 races a year for him and see what happens. Heck, Evening Attire just won the other day and he is like what....10? No reason why Lava Man couldnt earn $100k a year. Maybe that is high, but you get the point.

Just went back and read the thread again.

Nice post.

+1 Retirement is well deserved.

I think legacies are for the owners, not the horses. If the horse still wants to run, they should keep running him, even if it means going to lower levels where he can compete. They owe him the best possible life they can offer, and if for him, it still includes running, then let him do it. If he makes it clear he doesn't want to run anymore, then they should retire him. And then, I would hope, look for something else for him to do. I thought Barclay Tagg was right on the money when he said he made Funny Cide a track pony because he said didn't want him spending his day standing in a field, bored out of his noggin. These horses are not elderly- they're still in the prime of their lives and need something to do. Retiring because he can't compete at Grade 1s anymore is for a human's ego, not a horse's emotional health.

I work at a zoo and see how much time and money and effort goes into trying to keep the animals there mentally active, because boredom is incredibly stressful. Retirement to a nice quiet place to live sounds great, but for animals it can mean a whole lot of long days with nothing to fill them.

Interesting perspective GR...very good post :tro:

Don't expect too many thought provoking responses from the juveniles that frequent the paddock. If I were Lava Man's trainer my next move would be get him out of California and run him on dirt. If he doesn't have a competitive effort than I would retire him. He was a very good horse and I don't think many fans want to see him embarrassed.

Ask KRIM to watch the videos of his recent races and tell me how sound he is.

I agree with you partly GR, if the horse is still willing...Yes, however I don't think a horse of Lava Man's stature should be running at Mountaineer against 5k claimers just because he wants to run. That would be sort of like when Ali fought against Holmes and being beat to a pulp when he was clearly over the hill. It wasn't too pleasant to watch. I do understand your post from a humane point of view. It is a nice thought but like all of us with age we start to lose our faculties.

I agree...send Brett Favre to the practice squad.

and you'd be running the risk of him getting claimed away from you.

If I owned him then he would be out of O'Neills barn within the hour and I would see what he had left with another trainer. But knowing that will never happen, it's time to send the King to Kentucky Horse Park.