Lion Heart, an impressive maiden winner in his debut, will attempt to remain unbeaten as the probable favorite in the $100,000 Hollywood Prevue Stakes, a grade III test for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs on Saturday."He's going to learn a little more; that's what they have to do at his age," said trainer Patrick Biancone from his Santa Anita stable office Tuesday. He plans to ship the chestnut colt across town Saturday morning.
"He worked good two days ago," said Biancone of a six-furlong drill in 1:11 4/5. Mike Smith will ride the colt for the first time.Lion Heart, by Tale of the Cat, was the sales topper at the Fasig Tipton Florida February sale, costing owners Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor $1.4-million. He won at first asking at Santa Anita October 24, covering six furlongs in 1:09 1/5.
"He's bred to go longer," said Biancone of Lion Heart. The Prevue serves as a prep for the grade I Hollywood Futurity at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 20.Other probable starters include Sunny Slope Stakes runners-up Voladero (Victor Espinoza) and Longonetrevorsean (Patrick Valenzuela) and either Consecrate or Cooperation from the Bob Baffert stable with David Flores up. Other possibles include Boomzeeboom, Cosmic Glitter, Firstship and Skipaslew.Cosmic Glitter worked a bullet half mile in :46 Tuesday for trainer Ruben Cardenas but returned with an excess of mucus in his system. Cardenas said he would give the colt further tests Wednesday before deciding whether to enter on Thursday.