Malakoff disqualification appealed

Stronach Stable has appealed the stewards' decision to disqualify Malakoff from first place in last Sunday's $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie. Brian Lynch, who trains Malakoff here at Woodbine, and jockey Todd Kabel submitted separate appeals of the decision to the Ontario Racing Commission stewards at Woodbine on Wednesday morning.

Malakoff had finished first by 1 1/2 lengths in the Prince of Wales, but Fort Erie stewards Richard Grubb, Gunnar Lindberg, and Ivan McHutchion ruled that Malakoff had caused interference in the final furlong. He was demoted to fifth. Shillelagh Slew was moved into the top spot, with Pipers Thunder moving to second, Royal Challenger to third, and Edenwold to fourth.

Shillelagh Slew and Pipers Thunder, who were racing inside Malakoff, both steadied in the late going while Edenwold was squeezed back on the rail in a chain-reaction incident. Both Mike Rogers, business manager for Stronach Stable, and Kabel had stated after the race that they felt Malakoff had been unjustly penalized. The appeal will be processed at the nearby ORC office and a formal hearing will then be scheduled. The purse will not be distributed until the appeal has been decided.