Lava Man now eligible for Breeders' Cup

Lava Man, one of the leading contenders for Horse of the Year, has been made eligible to the Breeders' Cup program and will not have to be supplemented to the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

The Kenly family's STD Stable and Jason Wood, the co-owners of the 5-year-old gelding, paid $150,000 late Tuesday night to make Lava Man eligible to the Breeders' Cup. By doing so, Lava Man will run for the full prize money on Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap at Santa Anita's Oak Tree meeting.

Had the owners of Lava Man waited until the Breeders' Cup to make Lava Man eligible, it would have cost $450,000, or 9 percent of the Classic's purse.

The Breeders' Cup instituted new rules this year whereby horses who would have had to pay hefty supplementary fees in the past can be made eligible earlier in the process, and at less cost. Among the horses who have taken advantage of the new rules is Aragorn, who is also running on Saturday, in the Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile.