O’Neill has two in Cal Cup Classic

Trainer Doug O’Neill nearly won the $250,000 California Cup Classic with a longshot the last time he had a starter in the richest of 10 stakes races for Cal-breds run during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

The gelding that finished second to 20-1 outsider Cozy Guy in the 2004 Classic has gone on to much bigger and better things.

Lava Man was the runner-up at 25-1 that year in his third start after being claimed for $50,000 by O’Neill for owners Steve and Dave Kenly and Jason Wood.

Since then, Lava Man has established himself as one of the best California-breds in history. He is a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory away from being named horse of the year.

With Lava Man preparing for the largest race of his life a week from today at Churchill Downs, O’Neill will try to win a second Cal Cup Classic -- he won with Sky Jack in 2000 -- today with Iced Out and King Mobay.

Both 4-year-olds have something in common with Lava Man. They’ve run in claiming races.

King Mobay joined O’Neill’s barn less than two months ago. He was taken for $16,000 out of a win at Del Mar on Sept. 2, then scored for his new connections in a starter handicap Sept. 24 at Fairplex.

Iced Out ran against $32,000 maiden claimers in his first two starts for Greg James but hasn’t been risked for a tag under O’Neill’s care. The Comic Strip colt has won two of nine for O’Neill.

The 5-2 morning line favorite is Top This And That, a 4-year-old Old Topper gelding who has won once in nine starts this year. He is trained by Dan Hendricks, who is shooting for his second Classic victory in three years.

Hendricks, who trained Cozy Guy, would have had the prohibitive favorite today had he and owner Cecil Peacock elected to run Brother Derek here instead of in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Classic next week.

The Santa Anita Derby winner would have been a strong contender at home but will be a longshot to finish in the top five in Kentucky.

Given the state of the Cal Cup Classic, Hendricks might well be able to win without using his best.

“He’s coming into the race well,” Hendricks said of Top This And That, who has earned two of his five lifetime victories at Santa Anita. “He should fit well in there with the amount of speed that’s in the race.”

In his last start, Top This And That was second to Southern Africa in the Ralph M. Hinds Invitational Handicap in Pomona.

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The day’s second-richest race, the $175,000 Mile on the turf, features a pair of former Cal Cup winners. McCann’s Mojave, who won the Classic in 2005, will break from the rail and Drake’s Victory, who took the Mile at 5-1 a year ago, will leave from the outside in the field of 12. Neither has won since.

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Two other horses trying to win second Cal Cup races are Texcess, the second choice in the Classic who won the 2004 Juvenile, and Areyoutalkintome, who won the $150,000 Sprint in 2004, was second to Jet West last year and is scheduled to make another try in the six-furlong race. Meanwhile, Moscow Burning is seeking a third victory in the $100,000 Distance Handicap, a 1 1/4 -mile turf race.

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The hottest horse running today will race after the Classic. Cambiocorsa, who has been the queen of Santa Anita’s hillside turf course this year, will be seeking her ninth consecutive win at the about 6 1/2 -furlong distance.

The gray daughter of Avenue Of Flags will be carrying a career-high 125 pounds in the $150,000 Distaff.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com