Ta heck with the horse of the year crud. Looked at the race again. That was as gallant a win as you will see this year or any year. Take the race for what it was. Lava Man had an absolutely horrible run and had every right to lose and he won. How the heck did the horse win. This is one of the true grit performances that you just dont get to see much anymore. The more I look at the replay, the more I am astounded with the absolute determination of this horse. He is a wonderful animal.

I personally would try and keep this one out of really tough situations, he will die for you. Make sure he is totally fit and running on a track and at a distance he can handle Anything less is not fair to the animal.