Hollywood Gold Cup

[2Hot4TV]

The horse is telling them that it's time for a rest.

GOLD CUP WINNER LAVA MAN RETURNS TIRED BUT SOUND

Lava Man, who eked out a nose victory in a gutsy defense of his Hollywood Gold Cup crown Saturday, returned to his stall in the Doug O'Neill stable weary but healthy.

"He's tired but his legs were tight," said O'Neill Sunday. "He left some grain. He put his body down yesterday. He's not nearly as funky as he was yesterday."

After nearly stumbling to his knees at the start, Lava Man managed to recover and go on to a nose victory over longshot Ace Blue in the $750,000 Grade I test and join Native Diver as the only horse to win the prestigious race more than once in its 67-year history.

Native Diver won it three times in a row from 1965-67 and is buried under a monument in the Hollywood Park paddock. O'Neill, who was born one year after the legendary "Black Horse's" triple, hopes that Lava Man will be in position to duplicate that three-peat next July.

O'Neill, who is three-for-three in the Gold Cup after also winning in 2002 with Sky Jack, gave special credit to Noe Garcia, the groom during all three of those victories.

"He's a real quiet guy who has been with me four or five years," said O'Neill. "He's always the first to work and the last to leave."

O'Neill said he and his family celebrated the victory with dinner at an Islands restaurant. He said that if Lava Man, unbeaten in five starts this year, bounces back, he will make his next start in the $1-million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 20. That race could also attract runners-up Ace Blue, Super Frolic and Magnum.