Toccet's Owner Protests Strub Weights to Santa Anita Stewards

Daniel Borislow, owner of Toccet, has sent a letter of protest to the Santa Anita stewards, claiming the colt's 123-pound weight assignment for Saturday's Strub Stakes (gr. II) is incorrect. Toccet will carry topweight in the 1 1/8-mile race, run under allowance conditions.

Borislow said in his letter that according to the wording of the conditions, Toccet should be allowed six pounds. The son of Awesome Again  , who has not won a major stakes since 2002, will be conceding weight to 2003 graded stakes winners During, Buddy Gil, and Midas Eyes. Buddy Gil captured the 2003 San Felipe (gr. II) and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I), but will be getting four pounds from Toccet, who has not won a graded stakes since the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) in Dec. 2002.

The first set of conditions for the race read: Non-winners of $200,000 twice or $300,000 once at a mile or over since May 1, 2003 allowed two pounds. Borislow believes the $200,000 twice applies to the May 1, 2003 date.

According to the Santa Anita racing office, however, the $200,000 twice implies lifetime. Toccet earned that much in the Champagne Stakes (gr. I) and Hollywood Futurity.

"This has been a series for over 30 years," Borislow said. "It makes no sense, and the person who drafted these conditions meant them the way I interpreted them, not lifetime. The way they interpret it, you could have a winner of the first two races of the series (the Malibu-gr. I and San Fernando-gr. II) get less weight than a horse who did not win in 2003 and 2004. Every condition of the race has a date on it except this one. Why would it imply lifetime?"

Borislow said the stewards informed him they will address his protest Friday morning.