Champion trainer D. Wayne Lukas has been hospitalized in Philadelphia at the age of 80 with a heart condition.

Lukas was in Pennsylvania to run Mr. Z in the Pennsylvania Derby and Take Charge Brandi in the Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing when he began to feel ill.

The Hall of Fame trainer's assistant Tim Austin would not disclose the specifics of Lukas' condition, citing privacy concerns.

However he said it was expected Lukas would have a pacemaker installed but dispelled social media speculation that Lukas had suffered a heart attack.

"I just want to clear everything up because people were saying he had a heart attack," Austin said. "That's just not the case."

"He just wasn't feeling well, almost flu-like symptoms," Austin said.

"The ambulance took him to hospital because he had a low heart rate. He's stable now and doing well."