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Lava Man faces difficult comeback in San Gabriel The return of LAVA MAN (Slew City Slew), Take 2, is scheduled for Sunday at Santa Anita in the $150,000 San Gabriel H. (G2). The connections of the eight-year-old California-bred decided against racing the $5 million earner in the December 12 Native Diver H. (G3) across town at Hollywood Park after soaking rains pelted the Cushion Track. But turf, the surface the San Gabriel is scheduled for, will work, too, as Lava Man is a top-level scorer on virtually every type of track found in the United States. Tyler Baze, who was aboard the veteran gelding for his last two starts in the 2008 Charles Whittingham Memorial H. (G1) and Eddie Read H. (G1), will get a leg up from trainer Doug O'Neill. Lava Man was retired following a lackluster sixth in the Eddie Read, and later underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his ankles. He responded to stem cell treatment at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center before rehabilitating at Magali Farm near Santa Ynez, California. Standing in Lava Man's way in the nine-furlong San Gabriel is LOUP BRETON (Ire) (Anabaa), a Group 2 winner in France who captured a conditioned allowance at Hollywood last month in his U.S. debut. Now under the tutelage of Julio Canani, the five-year-old possesses an imposing company line that includes a narrow second-place finish to Vision D'Etat (Chichicastenango), recent winner of the Honk Kong Cup (HK-G1), in Longchamp's Prix Ganay (Fr-G1) on April 26. PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]), who took last year's San Gabriel for the late Bobby Frankel after a second-place finish in the 2007 edition, makes his second career start for long-time Frankel assistant Humberto Ascanio. Proudinsky returned from a layoff of more than five months in the November 27 Citation H. (G1), finishing 2 1/4 lengths behind in fourth. The multiple Grade 2 veteran owns a strong 3-2-1-0 mark over the Santa Anita sod and will be piloted by Rafael Bejarano, who was last aboard the six-year-old for the 2008 San Gabriel win. Facing an uphill battle against their elders are ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat), the Hollywood Derby (G1) and Del Mar Derby (G2) third; SIR DAVE (Untuttable), who has fared poorly in two starts since a second in the Del Mar H. (G2); and the allowance type GREAT SIEGE (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]). CHEROKEE ARTIST (Cherokee Run) is a synthetic and dirt specialist who endured a strange trip in his only previous turf start, jumping a shadow and fading to last after leading early in an entry-level allowance 15 months ago. His stock obviously rises in the event the San Gabriel is switched to the main track. The undercard feature is the filly division of the $100,000 California Breeders' Champion S. for California-bred or -sired juveniles. The 1 1/16-mile heat features the Grade 1-placed stakes winner LA NEZ (Storm Creek), who was also entered in the open division of the same race on Saturday's program. Her main competition here would come from Generous Portion S. winner CAMILLE C. (Roman Dancer) and Corte Madera S. heroine SALTY FRIES (In Excess [Ire]).
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