Claimer was a steal for Heist

A few years ago, owner Paul Heist, trainer Jim Penney, assistant trainer Kay Cooper (Penney’s daughter) and Bryson Cooper, a former jockey and Kay’s husband, were looking for a young horse to claim.

They wanted a 3-year-old who could be a factor in Washington and western Canada.

One of the horses they considered was Lava Man, who has gone on to fame, fortune and multiple graded-stakes wins for STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood and trainer Doug O’Neill after he was claimed in the summer of 2004.

For Heist, Penney and the Coopers, there are no regrets. The 3-year-old they wound up claiming for $62,500 in June 2004 at Hollywood Park has turned out just fine.

Flamethrowintexan, a gelded son of Way West, has since won 10 of 17 races. His earnings exceed $800,000 and he is still going strong as he approaches his sixth birthday.

The Florida-bred, who has been worse than third only twice since the start of 2005, will return to Hollywood Park for the first time since he was claimed when he races eight others in the $100,000 Native Diver Handicap on Sunday. A Grade III at 1 1/8 miles, the Native Diver could be the first of consecutive starts in California for Flamethrowintexan.

Kay Cooper, who with her husband handles the day-to-day training of Flamethrowintexan, says if he runs well Sunday and comes out of the race in good shape, he may return in the Sunshine Millions Turf, where he might race Lava Man, or ship to Gulfstream Park for the Sunshine Millions Classic.

Unproven beyond seven furlongs when he was claimed by Heist, Flamethrowintexan has proven to be a more-than-capable router. He has won four of five starts at the Native Diver distance. In fact, his first three wins for his current connections were at either 1 1/8 or 1 1/16 miles, including an 8 1/2 -length romp in the 2004 British Columbia Derby in Vancouver, Canada.

“We looked at his form and we looked at a lot of his races on tape,” Kay Cooper said. “We thought he would run long. He’s a horse that wants to give 110% every time he’s out there.”

Flamethrowintexan, who was trained locally by Vladimir Cerin, O’Neill and Bill Spawr before joining the Penney barn, is also tenacious. He is difficult to pass if he has the lead in the stretch, a trait he displayed in his two most recent victories.

The chestnut appeared beaten in the Longacres Mile on Aug. 20 at Emerald Downs in suburban Seattle, but was able to hold off Papi Chullo and win by a neck. The same was true in the Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Oct. 28 in his first start on turf, when he prevailed by a head over Fantastic Spain.

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The main event today at Hollywood Park is the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup, a Grade I at 1 1/2 miles. T.H. Approval, a winner of three Grade II races in 2006, will be trying to rebound from an eighth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. Regular rider Alex Solis will be aboard the 5-year-old With Approval horse, who has earned four of his seven wins over the Hollywood Park grass.

His primary challengers in a race in which all will carry 126 pounds are Symphony Sid, Meteor Storm and Artiste Royal.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com