SARATOGA SPRINGS — Perhaps the most notorious stewards’ decision in history came right here at the Old Spa on Aug. 2, 1986. The filly Allameuse won that day’s second race rallying clear on the outside, but the stewards blamed her for an incident to her inside in which one horse went down – she was nowhere near the trouble – and disqualified Allameuse from first to last.

The stewards’ decision – or rather, non-decision – concerning the incident in Friday’s fifth race here wasn’t nearly as egregious as the Allameuse fiasco. But it still had everyone in the press box – and probably the rest of the racetrack, and at every simulcast outlet in the nation – gasping in disbelief.

Pelican Lake, 8-1 under Shaun Bridgmohan, was laying fourth off the early pace set by Rani Babi pressed by Karen’s Joy, with 5-1 She Wears the Best, Edgar Prado up, chasing them in third. Turning for home, Bridgmohan swung Pelican Lake out making her rally, broadsided She Wears the Best out of her way, then ran down Karen’s Joy and Rani Baba to win going away by 1 ½ lengths.

Here’s how the Equibase chart footnotes describes the encounter: “PELICAN LAKE…angled out impatiently…clobbered SHE WEARS THE BEST, knocking that rival three paths to the outside….”

The inquiry sign was posted immediately, as expected. What wasn’t expected was that the stewards, after deliberating for several minutes, let the result stand! Gasp!

The stewards’ public explanation (now required after any inquiry) was that, in their opinion, the bumping did not affect the outcome of the race. As if they could know that She Wears the Best might not have finished second or third if Pelican Lake didn’t nearly knock her off her feet.

Many, perhaps most of the calls the stewards make are borderline and could go either way. This one was blatant, and – like Jim Joyce’s blown call at first base that ruined Armando Galarraga’s perfect game – they missed it by a mile.