Del Mar, CA -- (Sports Network) - Three-time Hollywood Gold Cup champ Lava Man has been retired. The announcement came late Wednesday from his owners STD Racing and Jason Wood.

"It's been wonderful to be around such a great champion," trainer Doug O'Neill after the decision was finalized. "He'll be missed, but I'm going to put in my vote for him to be our stable pony."

Steve Kenly of STD Racing stated that Lava Man had X-rays taken at the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in California which found significant changes of the gelding's front ankles from X-rays taken earlier in the year.

"When we heard about the results of the X-rays," said Kenly, "the decision was easy. It was time to call it a day."

Lava Man, in 46 lifetime starts, earned $5.2 million with 17 wins. In 2006 he became the first horse to sweep the three major handicap races in Southern California in the same year: Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic.

His last win was in the 2007 Hollywood Gold Cup, which gave Lava Man three consecutive victories in the event, matching Native Diver's three straight wins in the race.