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Lava Man’s camp optimistic about Dubai Duty Free challenge
There’s a palpable feeling of optimism around the connections of Lava Man who have observed his initial gallops and overall demeanor since he arrived in Dubai last week.
“He’s happy here,” said exercise rider Tony Romero. “It’s a surprise, but that’s why I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Romero gave the thumbs up sign when he guided Lava Man off the track on Monday morning following a particularly eye-catching gallop over the turf course, the same strip the six-time Grade 1 winner will race over in Saturday’s US$5-million Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1). Eager to keep going, Lava Man pulled against the bit when Romero tried to ease him after the exercise.
“The turf is excellent. To tell you the truth, he looks better here when he gallops on the grass than he does back home in California,” said Carlos Pena, who has been overseeing Lava Man’s preparations before the arrival of Leandro Mora, the assistant to trainer Doug O’Neill.
Although Lava Man has a reputation for not shipping well or adjusting calmly to new surroundings, he has been relaxed in Dubai.
“Before when he traveled, he didn’t eat. He’s eating well and sleeping well here,” Romero said.
“I cross my fingers, but this time he looks different than he did in Kentucky for the Breeders’ Cup,” Pena added, referring to Lava Man’s journey to Churchill Downs for the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr.1) on dirt, in which he finished seventh after being bumped and carried wide on a track that has been widely described as favoring horses on the inside.
The large stalls in the Nad al Sheba quarantine barn and the peaceful environment have proved to be much more appealing to the horse than the barn area at Churchill, he said.
Although pleased with his adjustment, Lava Man’s team has taken steps to ensure he will be in a position to race to the best of his versatile ability. The gelding has been training with pads on his at times troublesome feet, and on race day, he will wear earplugs while in the paddock in hopes he will not become too jumpy in all the hoopla before racing, Romero said.
A Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf, Lava Man can run on the lead or stalk the early pace, which could give him the advantage of dictating pace in the Dubai Duty Free.
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Pletcher cancels night work for English Channel
Trainer Todd Pletcher changed his mind and decided not to send multiple Grade 1 winner English Channel out to gallop around Nad al Sheba under the lights on Monday evening.
“He just didn’t want to upset (English Channel’s) schedule,” said assistant Ginny DePasquale of the change in plans.
Instead, English Channel galloped 1 ¼ miles around the Nad al Sheba training track on Monday morning and was scheduled to make an appearance on the main track on Tuesday as he continues to prepare for the US$5-million Dubai Duty Free (Gr.1).
DePasquale said the five-year-old son of Smart Strike has always traveled and adjusted well to new surroundings, as his record suggests, and he has done so again in Dubai. English Channel has made his 17 career starts over nine different tracks in six states in America, winning ten times, including seven stakes.
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