Magna Light's connections plan to appeal DQ

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The connections of Magna Light plan to appeal the stewards’ decision to disqualify that horse from first place in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

Magna Light finished first by three-quarters of a length but was disqualified by the stewards after he drifted out severely under jockey Jose Ortiz’s left-handed whip, then veered back in toward Percolator, who finished third, a half-length behind second-place finisher Uncle Vinny.

Kendrick Carmouche, the jockey of Percolator, lodged an objection, claiming he was bothered by Magna Light when the horse drifted back in toward his horse in deep stretch. The stewards agreed, disqualified Magna Light from first, and placed him third. Uncle Vinny was elevated from second to first and Percolator from third to second.

“I thought their decision was the wrong decision. Virtually everybody in the racetrack could see it was the wrong decision,” said Michael Dubb, who heads the ownership group of Magna Light. “I plan to use every source of appeal I can to try and get it reversed.”

Dubb, a prominent owner and member of the New York Racing Association board of directors, has until the end of business Monday to file his appeal with the New York State Gaming Commission.

Appeals in disqualifications are rarely successful. However, in 2006, the connections of Rahys’ Appeal were successful in their appeal of a stewards’ decision to disqualify her from first place in the Grade 2 Top Flight after the jockey of Rahys’ Appeal inadvertently hit a rival horse in the face with a whip, which, erroneously, was considered by many as an automatic cause of disqualification.