The historical past of horse racing is crammed with rags-to-riches tales of jockeys, trainers, and horses that rise from humble beginnings to attain success on the highest ranges of the game.

Few such tales can evaluate with that of the outstanding gelding Lava Man, who went from claimer to Corridor of Famer to dominate California horse racing for a lot of three unforgettable years.

Lava Man had a mix of expertise and flexibility that comes alongside very not often; some may argue there has by no means been a horse with a higher mixture of each than Lava Man. In the USA, horse racing is performed on filth, grass, and artificial tracks, and Lava Man is the one horse in historical past to win Grade 1 races on all three surfaces. He was so naturally quick that he incessantly set the tempo in his races, but when one other horse wished the early lead, Lava Man was completely content material to take again and rally within the stretch.

Lava Man’s unimaginable expertise, nevertheless, wasn’t apparent from the beginning. As a son of Slew Metropolis Slew out of a mare by Nostalgia’s Star, the California-bred Lava Man didn’t have probably the most modern pedigree, which can have been one motive why he began his profession in a 4 ½-furlong, $12,500 maiden claiming race at Stockton, a county truthful monitor in California. Despatched off at odds of 35.50-1, Lava Man trailed the sector early on earlier than rallying to complete fourth, overwhelmed by 3 ¾ lengths. It was an inauspicious starting, and his subsequent two begins — a 3rd and a fifth in related maiden claiming races — did little to dispel the notion that Lava Man was nothing particular.

However when given a attempt going a mile on turf, Lava Man took an enormous step ahead, ending second in a maiden particular weight race at Bay Meadows Race Course. From there, he confirmed flashes of expertise and potential, profitable a few minor races and disappointing in a few more durable ones, till the fateful day got here when he was entered in a $50,000 claiming race at Del Mar on Aug. 13, 2004. He ran nicely, ending second in an eight-horse subject, and he was claimed by coach Doug O’Neill to race for the partnership of STD Racing Secure and Jason Wooden.

Lava Man’s rise via the ranks was about to start.

In his first begin for his new connections, Lava Man returned to filth and gained the Derby Trial Stakes at Fairplex Park, taking command within the stretch and pulling away to win decisively. Three extra strong performances in stakes races adopted earlier than Lava Man took an enormous step up in school and tackled the seven-eighths of a mile, Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Lava Man had by no means run in a graded stakes race, not to mention a Grade 1, however outperformed the expectations of most racing followers when he rallied to complete second, overwhelmed by only a half-length by Rock Arduous Ten.

As a 4-year-old in 2005, Lava Man began off slowly. He opened the yr with three disappointing efforts in restricted and state-bred stakes races, by no means ending higher than fifth, however then he made an enormous turnaround. In an allowance race at Hollywood Park, he tracked the tempo earlier than profitable simply in a confidence builder, then pulled off an 8.70-1 upset within the Grade 2 Californian Stakes, profitable the 1 1/8-mile race by a size within the quick time of 1:47.83 seconds.

Out of the blue, it appeared like the sunshine had gone on. With 23 begins beneath his belt, Lava Man was on the level the place the expertise stage of most racehorses is instantly obvious, however Lava Man wasn’t like most horses. Maybe some thought-about his win within the Californian a fluke, however that was removed from the case. As a substitute, Lava Man got here again even higher within the 1 ¼-mile, Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, which he gained by a shocking 8 ¾ lengths within the sensible time of 1:59.63.

2005 HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

However simply as shortly as he had risen to stardom, Lava Man appeared to regress. Within the Grade 1 Pacific Basic Stakes one month later, he bought concerned in a battle for the lead and wound up ending third, then ended the season with a pair of distant defeats within the Grade 1 Jockey Membership Gold Cup when transport to Belmont Park — his first begin outdoors of California — and the Japan Cup Grime.

Because the yr got here to an finish, racing followers puzzled what to anticipate from Lava Man in 2006. To that time, his profession had been a mix of sensible performances and nice disappointments. After exhibiting early expertise on turf, he now appeared superior on filth. Would his inconsistency get the higher of him?

Together with his performances on the monitor, Lava Man answered that query with a particular no.

From January via October 2006, Lava Man was unbeatable; to his rivals, he will need to have appeared like a rainbow, at all times a couple of steps forward irrespective of how arduous they tried to catch him. The $1 million Sunshine Thousands and thousands Basic was his first goal and he gained it with full ease. Whereas he needed to work a little bit tougher within the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap, he gained that in a quick time, too. Then — with loads of time to spare between California’s main races for older horses — Lava Man gave turf a attempt to gained the 1 1/8-mile TVG Khaled Stakes within the virtually extraordinary time of 1:44.26 seconds, a course file and never far off the world file.

From there, it appeared like there was nothing Lava Man couldn’t do.

He gained the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap on turf by two lengths; a second straight renewal of the Hollywood Gold Cup by a nostril; the Pacific Basic by 2 ½ lengths; and the Grade 2 Goodwood Breeders’ Cup Handicap by 2 ¼ lengths, with 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo ending a well-beaten third. Lava Man may need gained Horse of the Yr honors if not for a seventh-place end within the that yr’s Breeders’ Cup Basic at Churchill Downs.

2006 HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

A number of extra highlights awaited in 2007. After profitable the Sunshine Thousands and thousands Turf and a second straight version of the Santa Anita Handicap, Lava Man shipped to Dubai and completed final within the Dubai Obligation Free. One other defeat adopted within the Whittingham Memorial, and Lava Man gave the impression to be slowing down. Because the Hollywood Gold Cup approached, there have been absolutely questions as Lava Man ready for a historic third straight victory within the prestigious race. The 2007 Hollywood Gold Cup can be run on an artificial monitor and, as versatile as Lava Man had been, the query was may he deal with the brand new floor at a degree in his profession when he gave the impression to be declining?

When A. P. Xcellent led the best way whereas setting a gradual tempo within the Hollywood Gold Cup, it didn’t look promising. When Lava Man challenged the chief with a quarter-mile left to run, A. P. Xcellent turned him again and maintained his lead.

However one final time, Lava Man reminded the world that champion horses can come from wherever. Even with an unfamiliar floor beneath his ft and dozens of miles of racing behind him, Lava Man’s braveness and willpower by no means wavered. Within the closing strides, with jockey Corey Nakatani urging him on, Lava Man appeared to dig deep and discover one thing additional.

By all logic, Lava Man shouldn’t have gained … however then once more, logic by no means appeared to use to Lava Man. As the gang cheered and racing followers watched in amazement, Lava Man and A. P. Xcellent crossed the end line along with virtually nothing between them. The end was too near name for a lot of, however not for Nakatani; moments after the wire, he raised his whip in triumph.

For the third straight yr, Lava Man had gained the Hollywood Gold Cup.

2007 HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP

This superb second would mark Lava Man’s closing victory. He ended the yr with three sixth-place finishes in stakes races; in 2008, he confirmed flashes of his outdated brilliance when third by a neck within the Whittingham Memorial, however after a sixth-place end within the Eddie Learn Handicap, ankle points led to his retirement.

He was scheduled to be despatched to Outdated Buddies in Kentucky to take pleasure in a peaceable life in a pasture, however Lava Man didn’t appear to look after this way of life, and after receiving stem cell remedy that healed his ankles, Lava Man was put again into coaching. He thrived along with his return to a every day schedule of train and made a quick comeback, ending final within the 2009 San Gabriel Handicap earlier than being retired for good.

However the racing life was in Lava Man’s blood, and he remained a fixture at racetracks in California, the place he served till November 2022 as a steady pony for O’Neill. In 2012, he was distinguished as he accompanied I’ll Have One other via a marketing campaign that included victories within the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and he did the identical with Sizzling Rod Charlie on the 2021 Triple Crown path. For a horse like Lava Man, it was a becoming ending that his final race as a steady pony was to accompany Sizzling Rod Charlie to the put up within the 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic.

On Nov. 23, 2022, Outdated Buddies Equine welcomed Lava Man again, this time for good, for a long-delayed retirement that the workmanlike star was not fairly prepared for  13 years earlier.

Editor’s Be aware: This story was initially revealed in 2016 and has been up to date.

FUN FACTS

• Lava Man retired with a file of 17 wins, 8 seconds, and 5 thirds from 47 begins, with earnings of $5,268,706, the fourth-highest complete ever amassed by a California-bred horse.
• Lava Man’s three straight wins within the Hollywood Gold Cup equaled the file set by Native Diver within the Sixties.
• Throughout the course of his profession, Lava Man gained seven Grade 1 races and positioned in 4 extra.
• Lava Man was guided to most of his main wins by jockey Corey Nakatani, however was ridden by a complete of 13 jockeys throughout his profession.
• Lava Man’s highest Beyer Pace Determine was an enormous 120, earned for the 2005 Hollywood Gold Cup win.
• Lava Man was inducted into the Nationwide Museum of Racing’s Corridor of Fame in 2015.