Lava Man to the Clement Hirsch

[my miss storm cat]

From DRF.....


Lava Man's next - the Clement Hirsch on turf
By STEVE ANDERSEN

DEL MAR, Calif. - Lava Man, the leading older horse in California, is likely to make his next start in the $250,000 Clement Hirsch Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Sept. 30 instead of the $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap on the main track on Oct. 7, trainer Doug O'Neill and co-owner Steve Kenly said on Friday.
O'Neill said that he has discussed plans for Lava Man in the last week with Kenly and co-owner Jason Wood following Lava Man's sixth consecutive stakes win in the Pacific Classic here last Sunday.

"I think the Clement Hirsch is more appealing," O'Neill said.

A decision to go in the Hirsch would give Lava Man a five-week gap to the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. O'Neill and Lava Man's owners would like to send the 5-year-old gelding to Churchill Downs in mid-October to acclimate to conditions there. Last fall, Lava Man was badly beaten in stakes at Belmont Park and Tokyo Racecourse, his only two starts outside of California in 2005.

"He needs to settle in," Kenly said.

Lava Man is unbeaten in two starts on turf this year, both at Hollywood Park - the Khaled Stakes against statebreds in April and the Grade 1 Charles Whittingham Handicap in June.

The Clement Hirsch will not be an easy spot for Lava Man. The Tin Man, who won the Arlington Million earlier this month, is also a candidate for that race.