Santa Anita Derby May Lose Lion Heart

Lion Heart, the once-beaten 3-year-old trained by Patrick Biancone for owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, may skip Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Derby in favor of the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes a week later at Keeneland.

Although an official decision isn’t expected until after the Tale of the Cat colt works five furlongs this morning, his connections are leaning toward the race in Lexington as Lion Heart’s final prep for the Kentucky Derby on May 1. The desire to run in the Blue Grass is apparently due to the speed-favoring nature of Keeneland’s main track and the defection of Eurosilver, who was declared out of the race a few days ago by trainer Nick Zito because of an infection in his neck.

The defection from the local Derby of Lion Heart would probably be welcome news for jockey Mike Smith. If Lion Heart waits for the Blue Grass, it would free Smith, who escaped injury in a spill in Sunday’s fifth race, to ride Azeri in Saturday’s $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Wayne Lukas, who took over the training of Azeri after owner Michael Paulson severed ties with former trainer Laura de Seroux last fall, has yet to name a jockey on the two-time Eclipse Award-winning mare.

If Lion Heart doesn’t run, Wimbledon, who earned his second consecutive win in the Louisiana Derby on March 7 at the Fair Grounds, will be favored in the 1 1/8-mile Derby. Castledale, Imperialism, Lucky Pulpit, Quinton’s Gold Rush, Rock Hard Ten and Totally Platinum are the others considered probable.

San Felipe runner-up St. Averil also is a possibility.

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Hi Teck Man, a 46-1 shot and one of four horses in the field who isn’t nominated to the Triple Crown, beat 2-1 favorite Consecrate by a half-length to win the $500,000 WinStar Derby at Sunland Park.

A 3-year-old owned and bred in Texas by Hassel and Bonnie Sprayberry and trained by Johnnie Nall, Hi Teck Man ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.20 for his sixth win in nine starts.

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McCann’s Mojave, a 6-1 shot, made it five wins in six starts with a 1 3/4-length victory over 3-1 second choice Unfurl The Flag in the $122,488 Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Only three horses -- 4-5 favorite Bluesthestandard was the other -- finished the Grade II after Casas Caballo suffered a fatal injury to his left front leg approaching the top of the stretch. Watchem Smokey, trailing at the time, was unable to avoid the fallen horse and unseated jockey Victor Espinoza. Espinoza and Watchem Smokey were uninjured, but Martin Pedroza, riding Casas Caballo, was taken to nearby Arcadia Methodist Hospital for X-rays and observation.

Owned and bred by Alix Nikki Hunt and local radio and intertrack television host Mike Willman, McCann’s Mojave, a 4-year-old Memo colt, ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.60. McCann’s Mojave is trained by Leonard Dorfman and was ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr.

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Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who hasn’t ridden for more than two months after his his license was suspended, met with Santa Anita stewards Ingrid Fermin, Pete Pedersen and Tom Ward for about 40 minutes on Sunday morning at Santa Anita.

According to Ward, Valenzuela, who wasn’t accompanied by an attorney, provided evidence he has been treated for depression.

“Patrick seemed fine, but he always seems fine,” said Ward. He added a decision regarding Valenzuela’s possible reinstatement could come sometime this week.

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Triple Crown Ratings

Tribune Co. ratings for 3-year-olds leading up to the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont:

*--* Horse Tr Jock St W P S Last Race Next Race ai ey ne r 1. Bo Javi 6 2 3 0 Louisiana Santa Anita Derby Wimbledo b er Derby n Ba Sant (1st) ff iago er t 2. Jo Rich 5 3 0 1 Florida Kentucky Derby Friends hn ard Derby Lake Ki Migl (1st) mm iore el 3. The Ni Shan 7 3 2 1 Florida Wood Memorial Cliff’s ck e Derby Edge Zi Sell (3rd) to ers 4. Ni Javi 4 3 1 0 Swale Unknown Eurosilv ck er Stakes er Zi Cast (2nd) to ella no 5. St. Ra Tyle 4 2 2 0 San Felipe Santa Anita Derby or Averil fa r (2nd) Kentucky Derby el Baze Be ce rr a 6. Jo Stew 5 5 0 0 Rebel Arkansas Derby Smarty hn art Stakes Jones Se Elli (1st) rv ott is 7. Kr Vict 14 5 3 1 San Rafael Santa Anita Derby Imperial is or Stakes ism ti Espi (1st) n noza Mu lh al l 8. Ma Edga 5 2 2 1 Gotham Wood Memorial Eddingto rk r Stakes n He Prad (3rd) nn o ig 9. Read Ri Jerr 6 5 0 0 Florida Kentucky Derby the ck y Derby Footnote Vi Bail (4th) s ol ey et te 10. Bo Alex 6 2 3 1 Sham Wood Memorial Master bb Soli Stakes David y s (1st) Fr an ke l

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Triple Crown panel: Bill Christine, Los Angeles Times; Dave Joseph, South Florida Sun-Sentinel; Tom Keyser, Baltimore Sun; Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune; Paul Moran, Newsday.