(Monday, December 28) The eight-year-old Lava Man, making his first start since July of 2008 did not show much fight in the stretch in the $150,000 San Gabriel Handicap (G2) at Santa Anita, fading to finish seventh and last.

One of the most popular horses in the history of Southern California racing retired last year with earnings of $5,268,706, not bad for a horse that made his debut for $12,500.

Trainer Doug O’Neill claimed him for $50,000 in August of 2004 and won 13 stakes with him including six Grade 1 victories.

Retired in the fall of 2008, the gelding received stem cell treatments for bad ankles and went back into training in September.

The gelding was sent off as the fourth choice on Sunday in the seven horse field at 7/1, and set moderate early fractions of :24.06 and :48.14, but came out in the stretch and dropped back to finish 6 ½ lengths behind the winner Proudinsky.

Lava Man returned with cuts on both ankles, which likely occurred coming out of the gate.

“He had a gash on his hind right tibia when he came back,” said O’Neill, “but I don’t think that caused anything. It looks like he hit the side of the gate leaving there. He just got tired. That’s what Tyler (Baze) commented on.”

O’Neill said they would give the gelding a few days to regroup and then decide on future plans for the gelding, who will turn nine this week.

Trying to get nine furlongs against a solid group off a 17-month layoff is not easy, and I did not expect him to win, but I certainly thought O’Neill would have him tight enough to give a good account of himself.

He did lose a few steps before he headed into retirement, failing to crack a triple digit Beyer speed figure in five of his last six starts.

I am hoping the connections decide to send him back into retirement. The gelding has now raced 47 times, won 17 of those races, and has nothing left to prove.

It’s “Cloudy” in McKnight: While Lava Man failed, a horse one year his senior performed well at Calder on Saturday.

Cloudy’s Knight, a nine-year-old gelding trained by hall of famer Jonathan Sheppard won the $150,000 William L. McKnight Handicap (G2).

The gelding got a perfect pace set up as the favorite Presious Passion got early pressure from longshot Livingston Street, and was able to make a good late rally to defeat Spice Route by 1 ¼ lengths.

Presious Passion faded to finish fifth.

Cloudy’s Knight was winning his fourth race in five starts in 2009. He started his year winning the Kentucky Cup Turf (G3), won the Sycamore (G3), lost the Breeders’ Cup Marathon by a nose, and then won the Valedictry Stakes at Woodbine in his previous start before Saturday.

The gelding is not done, and will be turning ten years old on Friday.

Sheppard said, “That will be it for him for awhile as we've already decided to skip Gulfstream. You can't dance all the dances, although he wasn't even blowing when he came back today. We hope to bring him back by the spring or summer."

Wishful Tomcat Steals Robb: A six-month break was no problem for heavy favorite Wishful Tomcat, who took the field gate to wire to win Sunday’s Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct by 2 3/4 lengths over a muddy inner track.

Jockey Ramon Dominguez was able to get the four year old out front early through easy fractions of :24.98 and :50.44 and it was all but over.

Veteran Naughty New Yorker made a mild bid to finish second, completing an $11.20 exacta.

Wishful Tomcat loves the Big Apple, winning nine races in a row in the state.

The plan is to continue beating up on New York breds according to IEAH’s Mike Iavarone.

“We’ll keep him here, this is where he belongs,” said Iavarone. “We’ll wait and see how he comes out of the race. As long as they give us opportunities to run against New York breds, we’d like to take advantage of that.”

Zenyatta Not Done?: There is a rumor circulating in Southern California that if Zenyatta does not win Horse of the Year honors, owner Jerry Moss may bring her back to race in 2010.

The mare does have a couple of recent works on the morning tab, but it does seem like a longshot.

However, one race that would be intriguing is the Dubai World Cup, which will have a $10 million purse and will be contested for the first time at the new Meyden Race Course in Dubai, which has a Tapeta synthetic surface.

The Dubai World Cup is March 27, so perhaps a prep race in February at Oaklawn Park or Gulfstream Park against Rachel Alexandra?

It’s a pipe dream, but it gives us something to talk about between now and the Eclipse Awards on Jan. 18.