i'm out in SH*TTY california:D

thanks though. Invasor just made my day.

First of all, picking that Lava Man would not do well outside of Cali is hardly something to brag about. Everyone knew that already, and MANY people (including me) were saying that sending him to this race was a big mistake ever since it was announced. He stood no chance today, and everyone that follows American racing knew that.
Also, saying that he "showed his true class today" and calling him a "claiming horse" is just wrong. He is simply a horse that does not ship and run well. Period. It makes no sense for people to come on here and say "HE IS A SUPERSTAR!!!!" every time he wins another G1 or G2 in Cali, and it makes no sense for you to come on here and rip him when he runs poorly elsewhere. That is just what everyone expected.
He runs well at the 3 SoCal tracks.
He runs poorly everywhere else.
I would berate you more for not understanding this distinction, but since the horse's own connections can't seem to figure that out, I guess you are in good company.

I totally disagree with you.I don't think it is a shipping problem at all.I think he just can't handle the tougher competition,Period.He hasn't raced against anything tough in California,except poor horses.To me a graded race in California is just what I said,a high priced claiming race.I think it's great that he wins there and made so much money,but greed took over his owners decisions.Anytime he goes somewhere against something decent,he gets demolished,like today.He is not the caliber of horse that everyone thinks he is.Would I like to own him?You bet.He would be at Hollywood right now instead of wasting his time in Dubai in a futile attempt to satisfy the greed of his owners.

Well I certainly agree with you that it was ridiculous to send him to this race. In fact, I said that several times in the "Lava Man to Dubai" thread.
But your suggestion that he has no problem shipping, and that he simply can't "handle the tougher competition," is quite frankly, just wrong. It wasn't simply Invasor and Berbardini (the better competition) that beat him in the BC last year. Brother Derek also defeated him easily, but when those two squared off in Cali, Lava Man was the clear winner. His speed figures also dip considerably when he ships.
I am not saying that he would be able to defeat the Invasors of the world if the races were run in SoCal, but he would certainly be more competitive. He never runs the same races outside of SoCal that he does IN SoCal. That is jut a fact.
Let's hope they never take him out of SoCal again. Whatever way you look at it, that was just an absolutely ridiculous decision.

he is to cali what silver train was to belmont.

Brother Derek is a Piece of sh_t,So beating him does not add any glory to Lava Man.In fact it demotes him even more in my book.
But I agree with you,Let's keep him in SoCal,where the competition is easy for him.But it will be interesting to see how he recovers from this trouncing.

But regardless of what you think of Brother Derek's ability, the differing results when the two squared off is one indicator (one of MANY I might add) that Lava Man really does run better races in SoCal than he does when he leaves SoCal.
My larger point is this: It does not makes sense to me to refer to a horse that has won 12 stakes races (including 6 G1s) as just a "claiming horse." If he is a claiming horse, than how would you describe the horses actually running in the claiming races in SoCal? Or what about the ones in NoCal, or any other track that is a step down from the SoCal tracks?
He is a horse that can be pretty good in the right conditions. When his connections foolishly take him away from those conditions, he is very ineffective. That doesn't make him a bad horse.....just one with very specific limitations.

Because those Stakes races were filled with sub par horses,as are most SoCal races.I don't care if they were graded,name some horses from ANY of those races that have gone on to do ANYTHING.I AGREE he runs way better in SoCal,and it is because there is no competition there for him.Brother Derek,Giacomo?Super Frolic,Good Reward,Ace Blue?What a bunch of Garbage.What have ANY of these horses gone on to do?In his last race he beat a six year old who just passed the N2X level.WOW Impressive.
I have said before,my opinion of SoCal racing is extremely low,and it is my opinion and I stand by it.To me it is all bottom of the barrel racing out there.But like I said,I would love to own him.Against all that crap out there,his races are virtual walkovers.

Giacomo did win the Derby...

ALostTexan

FLUKE!!! And went on to do what?

Okay you are really not getting it. So never mind.

That was a joke. Just relax.

I agree that Lava Man was in over his head, either via the shipping or the caliber of company, but I cannot agree that SoCal horses are "Claiming Horses". But, to each his own...

ALostTexan

Im here....never have been one to run and hide. His running today did nothing to deminish my admiration for him. Never claimed he was gonna win the race...never claimed he was as good as any of the Euros. He just happens to be may favorite race horse...plain and simple.

He did finish in front of the "eclipse winner":rolleyes:

And Randall....I believe your little Cacique showed his true colors in the BC turf in the fall...so you have very little room to talk:D

and I am sure you would HATE to own a horse like him that has earned $2.5 million.....

You of all people should know and understand that some horses simply do not ship well.

I would expect more from someone of your knowledge and stature to knock a horse like him....

That a boy Kev, don't take no **** from no one.....STAND PROUD Beautiful!!!

omg i can't wait for the 3rd post you make here because you're getting progressively more bitter.

Tom, there isn't a person on this board that wouldn't love to own a horse like EC. If they said they wouldn't...they are lying.

Don't have to tell me that

If I owned him I would run him every two weeks during the Arlington meet in their optional claimers and win like 10 races for the whole meet, just with him

No bitterness Brian. He didn't win....plain and simple. Whether it was an off day, the shipping, no lasix or the simple fact that he was most likely outclassed...it is what it is. He will race again soon and I will root for him just as hard then, as I did today.

I don't know bro...he is 0 for 2 at Arlington....:o