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Lava Man joins elite club in Gold Cup STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood's LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew) on Saturday became the first repeat winner of the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) since Native Diver took three consecutive runnings from 1965 to 1967. Prevailing by the slimmest of margins on the line, the Doug O'Neill trainee didn't earn the same scintillating 8 3/4-length score that he did in last year's edition of the Gold Cup, but it was still yet another win for the former claimer turned Grade 1 winner on dirt and turf. Lava Man entered the gate as the 3-5 favorite, but gave his many supporters a moment of dread when stumbling when the doors opened. Almost going to his knees, he was gathered up and steadied by jockey Corey Nakatani, who remained calm in those few seconds. Settling his mount along the inside, Nakatani kept his cool as Magnum (Arg) (El Compinche) took the early lead, getting the first quarter in :23 4/5. Ace Blue (Brz) (Coax Me Clyde) then came up to force the issue, putting his head in front through a half-mile in :48 3/5. Not long after that, though, Magnum regained the advantage through splits of 1:12 2/5 and 1:35 4/5 while Lava Man continued to stalk. On the final turn, Magnum suddenly found Lava Man ranging up along his outside. The longtime leader couldn't hold on as Lava Man unleashed his rally down the stretch. Just then Ace Blue, who had been relegated to third, came back again on the outside, digging down to challenge the eventual winner. Running nip and tuck to the wire, it took a photo to separate the two, with Lava Man getting his bobbing nose down on the line right when the camera snapped. Finishing the 1 1/4-mile event in 2:01 on the fast Hollywood Park dirt, Lava Man paid out $3.20, $2.60 and $2.10 for his gutsy win while keying the $19.90 exacta ($1). Ace Blue returned $7 and $2.10 to his faithful backers as the 24-1 longshot in the five-horse field, and it was another three parts of a length back to Super Frolic (Pine Bluff), who gave back $2.10 at 6-1. Magnum and Seek Gold (Touch Gold) completed the order under the wire. Bred in California by Lonnie Arterburn, Eve Kuhlmann and Kim Kuhlmann, the dark bay Lava Man was claimed by his current connections out of a $50,000 event at Del Mar in 2004. The gelding began to show flashes of his true ability that fall, but he really put it all together since taking an allowance/optional claimer at Hollywood in May of last year. Since then, he's only had three losses from 11 starts, one of which came as a close third in the Pacific Classic (G1). Among the five-year-old's victories from this season are the Santa Anita H. (G1), the Sunshine Millions Classic and the Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1), which came on the turf prior to this one. He now sports a 32-12-7-3 record and has accumulated $2,904,706 in lifetime earnings. Out of the winning Li'l Ms. Leonard (Nostalgia's Star), Lava Man has a yearling half-brother named Li'l Brite Star (High Brite).
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