Lion Heart, Chapel Royal to Ashford

Graded stakes winners Lion Heart and Chapel Royal, both of whom were retired from racing within the past two months, will enter stud at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. Lion Heart, a grade I winner and millionaire, and Chapel Royal raced for Coolmore Stud associate Michael Tabor in partnership with Derrick Smith. Ashford is a satellite of Irish-based Coolmore Stud. Lion Heart's fee is $30,000, and Chapel Royal's is $10,000.

A sale-topping $1.4 million Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-old, Lion Heart won this year's Haskell Invitational Handicap (gr. I) and Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. III) and was second in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and San Rafael Stakes (gr. II). He captured last year's Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and Jack Daniel's Hollywood Prevue Stakes (gr. III). Careerwise, he retired with five wins from 10 starts and earnings of $1,390,800.

Chapel Royal, a $1.2 million Ocala Breeders' Sales Company auction 2-year-old, won or placed in five stakes as a juvenile last year. He captured the Sanford (gr. II) and Flash (gr. III) Stakes and was second in the Champagne (gr. I) and Hopeful (gr. I) Stakes and third in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I). He career marks reads three wins from eight starts and earnings of $495,571 in two years of racing.

Fees for Lion Heart (Tale of the Cat--Satin Sunrise, by Mr. Leader) and Chapel Royal (Montbrook--Cut Class Leanne, by Cutlass) will be announced later.