Lava Man readies for Classic

Lava Man’s chance to show he is more than a West Coast star who doesn’t like to travel is coming Nov. 4, when the onetime claimer is set to take on Preakness winner Bernardini in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Their showdown is the focal point of an eight-race Breeders’ Cup card featuring a record $20 million in purse money and drawing 121 horses -- 17 of them from Europe -- in the pre-entries announced Wednesday. Interest in six races exceeded the 14-horse limit.

About the only thing people watching on ESPN will hear more than Trevor Denman’s signature “And away they go� call as he announces the Breeders’ Cup for the first time will be the name of trainer Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher, in the midst of a record-setting year, pre-entered 18 horses, leaving him poised to break the record of 14 starters held by Wayne Lukas, his former boss.

Pletcher broke Lukas’ record of 92 stakes wins in a season this month and will be the earnings leader for the third year in a row.

Still only 39, Pletcher has reached the top of his profession with one notable hole on his resume: He has never won the Kentucky Derby.

He’ll be looking for his next Derby contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, with three horses entered: Circular Quay, Scat Daddy and King of the Roxy. Others entered include Stormello, winner of the Norfolk Breeders’ Cup Stakes at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita, and Principle Secret.

But Circular Quay’s top rival might be Great Hunter, who upset the colt in the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and is conditioned by Lava Man’s trainer, Doug O’Neill. He won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with Stevie Wonderboy and also has a top contender for this year’s Juvenile Fillies in Cash Included.

The Classic field lacks last year’s winner -- the now-deceased Saint Liam -- and this year’s Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro, retired by his injuries in the Preakness.

Pletcher figures to have at least one horse in the Classic, Lawyer Ron, recently moved from the barn of trainer Bob Holthus to Pletcher’s following surgery after running poorly in the Kentucky Derby.

Pletcher also pre-entered Flower Alley, who was second in last year’s Classic. But Flower Alley, coming off recent disappointments, wasn’t selected for the 14-horse field and will need a horse to drop out to get in.

That could be Discreet Cat -- who like Bernardini is owned by the ruling family of Dubai and is considered likely to withdraw and run in a New York race instead. Other horses in the Classic field include Invasor -- Bernardini’s top rival in the East -- Kentucky Derby runner Brother Derek, four-time Classic runner Perfect Drift, Super Frolic, who was fourth last year, and 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, a longshot at Churchill again in what is expected to be his final race.

Another horse probably making his farewell is George Washington, the European turf miler and winner of the English 2000 Guineas who will run on the dirt for the first time in the 1 1/4 -mile Classic, forgoing the Breeders’ Cup Mile in a move designed to try to enhance the horse’s breeding value.

“I suppose we felt like George had proved all he could prove on the turf,� trainer Aidan O’Brien said. “It’s really just to see what he can do, even though the odds are stacked against him.�

The odds are stacked in favor of Pletcher. He has at least one horse in every race but the Mile, and his other contenders include Fleet Indian in the Distaff, Wait A While in the Filly and Mare Turf, and English Channel in the Turf.

Other than the Classic, some of the intriguing duels include the Sprint, featuring Henny Hughes and Bordonaro, winner of the Ancient Title at Oak Tree, and the Mile, which will pit Aragorn, another winner who ran at Oak Tree, and another U.S.-based horse, Gorella, against a European contingent led by Araafa.

Most eyes, though, will be focused on the Classic.

O’Neill, hoping to shake Lava Man’s problems shipping -- he is winless in three trips outside of California -- already has his horse well-settled in Kentucky, preparing to meet Bernardini, a horse O’Neill said has impressed.

“He’s just done everything without any effort whatsoever. On the sheer numbers we’re all aware of, he towers over the rest of the field,� O’Neill said. “One nice thing about our horse is even though his numbers are a little on the slow side, he just wants to beat you. We’re excited, but we know we’re racing a beast.�

[email protected]