Stronach's Harlem Rocker disqualified from win at Cigar Mile

Tale of Ekati (5), with jockey Edgar Prado, falls a nose short of Harlem Rocker (3), with Eibar Coa aboard, at the wire of the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Saturday. Their places were reversed on appeal after stewards decided Rocker had interfered with the other Canadian-owned horse. (Adam Coglianese/New York Racing Association, Associated Press)

This hasn't been a good week for Canadian auto parts magnate Frank Stronach.

Already facing the crunch in his own industry, the horseman and chairman of Magna International saw one of his thoroughbreds snatched from the winner's circle at New York's Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon.

And it was another Canadian-owned horse that took advantage.

Stronach's Harlem Rocker was first under the wire in the $300,000 US Cigar Mile, nosing out Charles Fipke's Tale of Ekati.

But a stewards' inquiry sign went up right away and, after the race video was examined, Rocker was dropped to second. Ekati was given the victory.

The ruling said Harlem Rocker, under Eibar Coa, ducked sharply to his left into the path of Tale of Ekati on the rail as the horses thundered down the stretch.

Headed for outside

Jockey Edgar Prado had to snatch up Ekati and then head for the outside, where he made a strong run at the race's apparent winner.

Tale of Ekati, named for a major diamond mine discovered in the Northwest Territories by Fipke, has won four stakes this season and was fourth at the Kentucky Derby behind Big Brown.

The horse is trained by Barclay Tagg, who was philosophical afterward.

"Sometimes it happens to me, sometimes it happens for them," he said of the disqualification.

Harlem Rocker's trainer, Todd Pletcher, was not happy.

"Tale of Ekati had every opportunity to go by our horse," he said. "And, in my opinion, he was never going by. It's a tough call in a Grade 1 stakes."

Pletcher said he would check with Stronach about a possible appeal.

Tale of Ekati paid $19.80, $9.40 and $5.90. Harlem Rocker returned $9.20 and $6.30.

(With files from the Associated Press)