Lava Man to Dubai

[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by horseofcourse

I hope he does well and returns to Cal in one piece. Everything else is moot. If you're going to ship...go for the big prize. Why ship to Ky for a 500,000 puse Or Il for the Arlington Million when he doesn't ship well there either?? I can see both sides of this argument.

Amen. I don't know how it can be any more clear. People are saying he can't ship......then advocating shipping to Arlington or Churchill. That doesn't make any sense at all. If they are right and the shipping itself is not the problem but the surfaces have been and they think shipping and running on the grass will be the solution, I'd rather find out that I'm right in a $5 million race rather than a $500k or $1 million one. If they are wrong and it's just the shipping period, then it wouldn't matter if it's Dubai, Chicago, Kentucky, or Japan. Like in spades, u play to win. If u don't play to win, don't sit at the table.

The problem with saying "why not just be happy dominating the division in California" is that they've been there and done that. Over and over again. It's plain boring now. And anyone that's got any kind of competitive streak in them wants to take on a bigger challenge and see where they fit. If Lava Man were to somehow pull this off, he immediately goes on the list among the greatest we've seen in the past 25 years. If they don't even try, he stays on the list as a California wonder that couldn't ever win outside the state.

I don't understand the thinking that running in Dubai has to knock a horse out for a very long period. Didn't Invasor run in Dubai last year and return in the Pimlico Special less than two months later? How did that work out for him?

[pointman]

What I don't get, and I caution this with my limited knowledge, is if the shipping is such a problem, why don't they ship him in 5 or 6 weeks before a race? Can someone with more knowledge than I answer that?

[brockguy]

Lava Man to the 9f Duty Free I believe.. may be the easier race but will still be a tough field......

[Pedigree Ann]

I still think it is a humidity/breathing problem for Lava Man. SoCal is semi-arid. Florida, Japan, New York, and Kentucky are continental or tropical climates with higher humidity. Dubai will be the test of this theory, since it also has a drier climate. Looking forward to it. Go Lava Dude.

[Scurlogue Champ]

I have been thinking on it, and I hope Lava Man goes over there and stomps that ass soundly...

I have seen every race from the Dubai Carnival this year so far, and he is in pretty tough if the big guns roll.

But it sure would be something if he pulled it off. It would be the story of the year in my opinion.

Lava Man is our country's version of Mummify, Might and Power, and Fields of Omagh and everyone wants to bitch about his weaknesses.

As of today, I am pulling for him as hard as anyone in 10 days time.