Biancone's visit an in-and-out affair

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Stream Cat and Man of Illusion, each a graded-stakes winner on Kentucky Oaks Day, bring their show to Texas on Monday.

They are two of six horses trainer Patrick Biancone is bringing here for Lone Star Million Day. He has starters in each of the six stakes that make up what is the richest program at Lone Star Park.

Biancone's horses are scheduled to arrive by chartered flight from Kentucky the morning of the races, at about 9:15 a.m. Central. The flight takes an hour and 45 minutes. Biancone believes arriving late best suits his horses, adding that it is common practice in Europe.

"The main thing, and maybe I'm wrong, but I'm scared about the heat," said Biancone, a native of France. "We arrive, we run, and we come back here."

Flying in on race day enables Biancone to keep his horses in their own environment as long as possible, limiting changes to their routine. As for the weather, Biancone pointed out that it was 85 degrees in Kentucky on Thursday. It was 95 here, and the forecast is for a similar high on Monday.

Julien Leparoux will ride Biancone's horses. He rode Stream Cat to victory in the Grade 3 American Turf; Stream Cat will likely be favored in the $150,000 Pin Oak Stud USA on Monday. Leparoux won the Grade 3 Aegon with Man of Illusion, the probable starting highweight in Monday's $100,000 Beck Auto Group Turf Sprint.

Biancone also has Cosmonaut in the Grade 3, $400,000 Lone Star Handicap; Joint Aspiration in the Grade 3, $200,000 WinStar Distaff; Trick's Pic in the $100,000 Stonerside; and Trolley's Last in the $100,000 Valid Expectations.

Kip Deville sold, will skip Pin Oak

Kip Deville would have been one of the favorites in the Pin Oak, but will not start because he was sold in a deal made final on Wednesday, said his former co-owner and trainer, Mike Neatherlin.

Neatherlin said Kip Deville is scheduled to be flown to New York this weekend and will be trained by Richard Dutrow Jr.

Kip Deville won the $75,000 Grand Prairie Turf Challenge, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

* Gran Prospect, who was trapped in traffic in a turf allowance last out and finished third, is the one to beat in the featured 10th race Saturday. The second-level allowance has a field of 11 and will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf.