Lava Man home again for the Whittingham

Back on his home turf, Lava Man will try to keep his California winning streak going in the $300,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap today at Hollywood Park.

A winner of his last nine starts in the state where he was born, the 6-year-old Slew City Slew gelding will have seven opponents when he seeks his second consecutive win in the Whittingham, a Grade I at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

If Lava Man wins for owners Steve, Tracy and Dave Kenly’s STD Stable and Jason Wood and trainer Doug O’Neill, he will become only the second repeat winner of the race. John Henry won it three times -- 1980, ’81 and ’84 -- when it was called the Hollywood Turf Invitational Handicap.

When he won the 2006 Whittingham by two lengths as the 9-10 favorite, Lava Man extended a win streak to four, having taken the Sunshine Millions Classic, the Santa Anita Handicap and the Khaled at Hollywood Park in his first three starts of the year.

Now, he enters under the cloud of Dubai. Sent to the United Arab Emirates for the $5-million Dubai Duty Free on March 31 after a workmanlike win in the Big ‘Cap four weeks earlier, Lava Man was awful. He finished last in the field of 16, 29 1/2 lengths behind winner Admire Moon.

Lava Man has lost his last two starts outside California by a combined 45 1/4 lengths, having been routed by Invasor in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs.

O’Neill, who has seen the 16-time winner rebound from poor performances before, is confident the dark bay can do it again.

“He’s doing awesome,” the trainer said. “It took probably about three weeks for him to get back to the normal energy and the normal spunk he had shown prior to leaving.

“He’s been showing all the competitiveness and fire we’ve loved about him forever. If workouts mean anything, he should run a dynamite race.”

Should Lava Man exit today’s effort in good shape, the plan is to try to make some history June 30 in the $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, a race Lava Man has won the last two years. Only Native Diver has won the track’s signature event three times.

“Win, lose or draw, we’ll see him in the Gold Cup if he comes out of this race well,” O’Neill said.

Winning the Whittingham, which is named in honor of the legendary late Hall of Fame trainer, would be special for O’Neill, who was a fan of the sport long before he became a trainer.

“Being part of a race named to honor Charlie is very special,” O’Neill said. “When I first started working at the track in 1986, I remember him walking back and forth in the mornings, accompanying all of his horses to the track. I didn’t really know him except to say ‘hi’ or ‘good morning,’ but the thing I loved about him from afar was how classy he was. He would treat hot walkers the same as he did one of his big owners. He’s truly a legend who will live on forever.”

Lava Man will carry 124 pounds, the same weight he had for the Santa Anita Handicap, and will concede from six to 14 pounds to After Market, Porfido, Fitz Flag, Obrigado, Lang Field, Valiant Effort and Red Fort, who finished second in the 2005 Whittingham and third a year ago.

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Today’s 11-race Hollywood Park card includes two other graded stakes. Valbenny will seek her fourth win in five starts in the $175,000 Honeymoon Breeders’ Cup Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on turf, and Siren Lure will face seven in the $100,000 Ack Ack Handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs.

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Gates at Hollywood Park will open at 8:30 a.m., and the first of the simulcast races from Belmont Park will be at 9 a.m. The first live race locally will be at noon, 80 minutes earlier than usual.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com