Lava Man claimed a record-equalling third successive victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup on Saturday.
The six-year-old is only the second horse to have notched a hat-trick in the Hollywood Park contest alongside Native Diver, who dominated the race between 1965 and 1967.
Doug O'Neill's charge had to give his all for jockey Corey Nakatani as the pacesetting AP Xcellent rallied under pressure, but Lava Man eventually got up by a nose.
‘It's not like driving cars. Lava Man has got to do the work,’ Nakatani told www.thoroughbredtimes.com.
