Lava Man, the leading money winner among active racehorses, will not compete in any Breeders' Cup Betting races this year and instead will start next in the $250,000 California Cup Classic on Nov. 3.
Trainer Doug O'Neill announced the decision after Lava Man finished last in Sunday's Oak Tree Mile on the turf at Santa Anita after going off as the 13-10 favorite. He finished five lengths behind winner Out of Control.
It was the second consecutive disappointing finish for horse racing's leading active money-winner with earnings of more than $5.2 million. Lava Man also finished sixth in Del Mar's Pacific Classic Aug. 19.
"He came out of the race (Oak Tree Mile) in great shape, and California Cup, here we come,"O'Neill said. "He's such a cool horse that if he never wins again or never hits the board again, he'll retire as the best horse I've ever laid my hands on, that's for sure. But as of now, he'll definitely stay in town."
Lava Man, only the second horse to win three straight Hollywood Gold Cups, has 17 victories in 42 career starts, including three in seven races this year.
"There was no energy level there at all,"jockey Corey Nakatani said of the Oak Tree finish."He's been having some issues, I believe. I don't know what they are, but hopefully, the warrior that he is, he'll get over them and get back to the old Lava Man that we all know."
In 2006 Lava Man swept the three big handicap races in Southern California, Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic. In last year's Breeders' Cup Classic he finished a disappointing seventh behind Invasor.
Steve Kenly, one of Lava Man's three owners, said, "We're crossing our fingers you haven't heard the last of him."Kenly said.
Kenly, who claimed Lava Man for only $50,000 at Del Mar in August 2004, pointed out that Lava Man came back for a three-race slump earlier in his career but conceded it might be different now that the horse is older.
Out of Control earned an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile. Trained by Bobby Frankel, Out of Control nipped Zann by a nose to win.
Out of Control had raced in Brazil until this year. He has compiled a 4-2-1 record in eight U.S. starts, including a head victory over The Tin Man in the American Invitational Handicap at Hollywood Park on June 30. The dark bay Vettori colt followed that effort with a second-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind After Market, in Del Mar's Eddie Read Handicap July 22.
He came into the Oak Tree Mile off a sixth-place showing -- though beaten only 2 1/2 lengths -- in the Del Mar Mile Handicap. The victory, worth $150,000, bumped Out of Control's lifetime earnings to $487,371 with five wins in 11 starts.
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