After stewards' review, If You're Lucky . . . isn't

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - If You're Lucky, winner of the third race here last Sunday for owner-trainer Nick DeToro, has been disqualified from all purse money after the stewards were notified that he had been ineligible to race for the claiming price at which he was entered.

If You're Lucky, who had been claimed for $25,000 on Oct. 22, was entered for $30,000 in the Nov. 9 maiden race. The $5,000 raise did not meet the Ontario Racing Commission rule that requires a minimum increase of at least 25 percent in price for a 30-day period following a claim - and the error was not detected during the entry process.

The race last Sunday covered a claiming range of $28,000 to $32,000, and If You're Lucky would have met the requirement if he had been entered for the top price instead of $30,000.

Summerberry, who finished second to If You're Lucky, became the official winner, which is an unexpected bonus for his owners at the time, Jim and Alice Sapara, and trainer Josie Carroll.

But, Summerberry's promotion is not such good news for owner Glenn Harvey and trainer Abraham Katryan, who claimed the filly for $32,000 that day and will not be able to run her back against maidens any more.

Sovereign Awards media finalists announced

The Jockey Club of Canada has announced the finalists in four Sovereign Award media categories. The finalists, by category and including the medium in which the submission appear are listed below.

Newspaper article:

* Doug Abraham, "Ol' Grey Hair Still What He Used to Be," Calgary Herald, April 4.

* Rob Longley, "Gus Living His Dream," Toronto Sun, June 16.

* Paul Wiecek, "Horse Runs Miracle Race," Winnipeg Free Press, July 7.

Feature article:

* Muriel Lennox, "A Canadian Saga: Part 2," Thoroughbred Times, Dec. 7, 2002.

* Bruce Walker, "Kentucky Home," International Thoroughbred Digest, May/June.

* Wiecek, "Seabiscuit Story Exposes Dark Day at City Track," Winnipeg Free Press, July 27.

Photograph:

* Michael Burns Jr., "Early Morning Reflection," The Game, October.

* Michael Burns Sr., "Volga," The Game, November.

* David Landry, "Soaring Free," Canadian Thoroughbred, August/September.

Film/video/broadcast:

* Horse Racing Alberta & White Iron Productions, "The Canadian Derby," CFRN/CFCN TV, Aug. 23.

* Sports & Entertainment, "Horseplay," CTV Ontario, Oct. 18.

* Woodbine Entertainment, "Breeders' Stakes," Aug. 9.

The winners will be announced at the Sovereign Awards gala.

Sovereign Awards ballots go out Tuesday

The Jockey Club of Canada, which conducts the Sovereign Awards voting, will send out information packages and ballots to 67 voters across Canada on Tuesday. The ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday.

To be eligible for consideration, horses must have made at least three starts in Canada in 2003 by the cutoff date of Sunday. Jockeys, trainers, owners, and breeders must have had at least 10 starters to qualify.

While the racing results on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week do not count toward the eligibility requirement, voters certainly can take them into consideration before casting their ballots.

The 29th annual Sovereign Awards ceremony will be held Dec. 6 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, in downtown Toronto.

Leading Role done for year

The Woodbine 2003 meeting will have come and gone, and Leading Role still will be looking for her first stakes victory.

A 5-year-old mare trained and owned in part by Gail Casselman, Leading Role was nominated to Sunday's Bessarabian but was not among the entrants.

"She's done for the year," said Casselman. "She's had enough racing; she's going to have a break. I'm planning on running her next year."

A Florida-bred, Leading Role made six of her eight starts in stakes this year. She finished second in the George C. Hendrie Handicap and third in the Royal North.

Leading Role also ran fourth in three stakes and picked up fifth in another, but her two wins came in allowance company. She earned $172,019 for the year, bringing her career bankroll to $446,536.

"She's getting better every year," said Casselman, who will be taking Leading Role and seven other horses to her usual off-season base of Payson Park.

Bright Knight to race once more at meet

Bright Knight, who also had a productive campaign for Casselman, was nominated to Wednesday's $125,000 Classy N' Smart, but will not run.

The Classy N' Smart, a 1 1/16-mile race for Ontario-sired fillies and mares, is the final Wednesday night stakes of the year.

Bright Knight, a 4-year-old filly, was on the block at the recent Keeneland sale but did not meet her reserve and came back home to Woodbine.

"After sending her down there, it would be pretty quick to run her back Wednesday," said Casselman, who does hope to start Bright Knight once more at the meeting.

* The Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club will hold its final meeting of the year here Wednesday at 8 p.m. in the second-floor International Room. Head table guests include Bill Tallon of Daily Racing Form and jockey agent Lorne Spearman, who represents Richard Dos Ramos and apprentice Corey Fraser.

Non-members are welcome to attend.