Etc. . . .

The $100,000 Joe Aitcheson Stakes, second leg of the Steeplechase Triple Crown, has been canceled for 2003, officials of Pimlico and the National Steeplechase Association announced on Tuesday. The race was postponed May 16 after heavy rain fell in Baltimore the day of the race, and attempts to reschedule the race for May 24 or May 25 also failed because of weather conditions, officials said. . . . The Jockeys' Guild has signed a three-year management and consulting contract with Matrix Capital Associates and Dr. L. W. Gertmenian, the Guild announced Thursday. Matrix and Gertmenian, a professor at Pepperdine University, took over the Guild's administration after a contentious management disagreement in the summer of 2001. . . . Woodbine Entertainment Group and the Ontario division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association have agreed on a five-year contract, the two announced Wednesday. The pact includes a continuance of the 50-50 splits of live and simulcast wagering and of revenues from the slots at Woodbine and Mohawk, as well as a commitment to 167 live Thoroughbred race dates a year at Woodbine.