Maximum Security Wins Haskell Invitational

For a minute or two, it seemed like deja vu - but at the end of the Haskell Invitational, the Stewards' Inquiry sign flashed on the tote board after the $1 million Haskell Invitational was run this evening.  I held my breath, wondering if another win by Maximum Security would be taken away from from, as the Kentucky Derby victory was.  But, after less than three minutes, the Stewards at Monmouth decided that John Velasquez's quick take-back of King for a Day at the 3/8ths pole did not cause any change  or disruption in the order of finish. 
   It was a very hot day in New Jersey; and the Haskell was scheduled to have a post time of 5:45.  After running the first two races on the schedule, it was decided to cancel all races, except the Stakes races, which would begin at 8 p.m., by which time, it was hoped the temperatures would cool.  The Haskell Invitational field left the starting gate at approximately 8:15 p.m. EDT this evening, with six entries, as Joevia was scratched.
   Bethlehem Road led for the first half mile, then King for a Day took over the lead.  The Maximum Security turned on the gas.  Maximum Security crossed the finish line in a time of 1:47.56 for the 1 1/8 mile race.  He was 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Mucho Gusto, who led Spun to Run by 8 lengths; and was followed by Everfast 2 1/2 lengths further back.  King for a Day finished in fifth, with Bethlehem Road in sixth.  Maximum Security received $600,000 of the $990,000 guaranteed purse.
Pay outs for a a $ betting ticket were: $3.60 to win on Maximum Security, $3.40 to place on Mucho Gusto; and $5.60 to show on Spun to Run.  A $2 exacta paid $12; and a $1 Superfecta paid $185.70.
   Due to the continuing heat wave along the east coast, all racing scheduled for Sunday at Monmouth Park has been cancelled.

Maximum Security winning the Haskell Invitational

 

Foal 55 Arrives.... And Other Things

There was a ten day hiatus between foal 54, born June 9, and today's arrival, foal number 55.  This is a buckskin filly sired by Tornado's Legacy out of the chestnut pinto mare Anne Bonny...   (Photo by DSC Photography)

The latest foal born on the Maryland end of Assateague, out of Gokey Go Go Bones and sired by Yankee, had the naming rights sold for $3,050.  The filly is now named Chantilly Lace, and is being called Lacey - her identification number is N2BHS-AR.  

  Maximum Security ran second in the 2019 Father's Day edition of the Pegasus Stakes.  King for a Day chased him throughout the race until the last furlong, then slowly edged ahead  to win by a length.  Luis Saez, the jockey, said that Maximum Security tried but just didn't have it in him to rally.  He felt that the colt will return to his winning ways in his next race, which might be the Haskell.

  Country House, the colt declared the winner via disqualification in the Kentucky Derby, has not raced since that first Saturday in May.  A few days ago it was announced that he will not race again until next year, to "freshen up."

   Here in Boulder, we are having another bountiful year of baby bunnies - cottontail rabbits, that is.  But we are also having a horrendous mange problem in the coyote population - open running sores, very little fur and horribly thin bodies abound.  The red fox families move out when the coyotes appear, and return when they leave.  The local bobcat population is doing well, as are the large herds of mule deer that roam the streets and neighborhoods.  There have been several sightings of black bears and cubs in out-lying neighborhoods, as well as two mountain lion reports.

   Last night, Xena, the boxer-mastiff dog that I was pet-sitting, managed to run down a baby rabbit the size of my fist.  She looked amazed that her paw had landed on the bunny, and as she lowered her head, the poor baby started to scream.  I yelled, "Xena!! What are you doing!" and she stopped, looked at me, and picked up her paw.  The rabbit escaped through the fence...  Whew....   So I gave Xena a cookie when we got back inside.

  

One New Foal - # 54 - And Maximum Security Will Race Again on 16 June

On Sunday, 9 June, Little Bit o'Joansie and Ace's Black Tie Affair  presented the world with a bouncing baby boy - a bay pinto - first seen by Captain Dan Davis.  I love the foal's tail...  (The third photo shows his tail and the proof he's a boy.)  -  Thanks, Captain Dan Davis!!

And, after his disqualification while winning the Kentucky Derby, Maximum Security and his connections have decided to run him in the Father's Day edition of the Pegasus Stakes.  The race is 1 and 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) and has a purse of $150,000.  He is expected to race against a field of six other colts at Monmouth Park.  (And since it's Father's Day, all men have Free Admission to the race course.)  The owners of Maximum Security are awaiting a date to be set for the court hearing regarding the disqualification of their horse from first place to seventh place....

Maximum Security Owner Issues $20 Million Challenge to Rivals

This is a press release from Tom Luicci, who is the Media Liaison for Gary West, owner of Maximum Security

   In an unprecendented move in thoroughbred racing, Gary West is offering up to $20 million of his own money to the owners of Country House, War of Will, Long Range Toddy, and Bodexpress if any of those horses finish ahead of Maximum Security the next time any of them race against him through 31 December 2019.

   West believes his offer of $5 million apiece to each of those four horses - simply for finishing ahead of Maximum Security - would result in record viewership and would generate worldwide interest.  If all five horses meet in the same race it would potentially create the most lucrative race in the world.

   Gary West, the owner of Maximum Security, the only Kentucky Derby winner to be disqualified due to interference from first place in 125 runnings, said his offer and the results of this "match race within a race" have no bearing and nothing to do with his horse's DQ.  He is willing to stipulate to that publicly, contending that the outcome of the Kentucky Derby is a completely separate issue and event. 

   West's intention with this opportunity and challenge is to generate additional interest in the sport.  There are no restrictions as to the type of race, what racetrack it is held at, or the distance or track surface.  The offer is valid only for the next time Maximum Security meets any of the aforementioned horses in a race, whether it is in the same race, or in four separate races.

   "I am doing this because I think it would be good for racing and a unique opportunity to bring more people into racing because of the elevated interest this would bring to the sport," West said.

   West will give the owners of Country House (the elevated winner of the Kentucky Derby); War of Will (placed 7th after finishing 8th); Bodexpress (placed 13th after finishing 14th); and Long Range Toddy (placed 16th after finishing 17th) $5 million apiece if they finish ahead of Maximum Security the next time they meet in a race.

   No horse has to win the race.  The offer is simply based on the head-to-head result with Maximum Security.

   In return, West is asking the owners of the other four horses to give him $5 million apiece if Maximum Security finishes ahead of their horse in the official chart.   The owners of any or all of the other four horses wishing to participate would be required to put their $5 million in an eacrow account, as West will do immediately for up to $20 million.

   West said if any of the other owners are not as confident in their horses as he is in Maximum Security, he would extend the same terms and conditions for the connections of Country House, War of Will, Bodexpress, and Long Range Toddy to put up $1.86 million instead.  -  That figure is the exact winner's share of the Kentucky Derby.

   West will donate Maximum Security's winnings from this challenge (if any, and up to $20 million) tp the Permanently Disabled Jockey's Fund.  If no owners accept the challenge, West pledges to donate 10 percent of Maximum Security's future lifetime racing earnings to the Permanently Disabled Jockey's Fund.

   "Most experts agree that Maximum Security was the best horse in the Kentucky Derby," West said in issuing his challenge.  "I don't care to discuss the controversy surrounding the events of the race and the disqualification of my horse at this time, but I firmly believe that I have the best 3-year-old in the country and I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is."

   One possible race for the 3-year-olds to converge again is the July 20th Haskell Invtational (G1) at Monmouth Park; but the offer is open to any race at any track the next time Maximum Security faces each of the other four horses.

Maximum Security under the watchful eyes of Thomas the barn cat...

Lawsuit Filed to Challenge Kentucky Derby Disqualification

This is taken directly from The Bloodhorse website (www.bloodhorse.com) today:

Wests Sue to Have Derby Disqualification Overturned
The lawsuit filed May 14 claims a violation of due process
  Written by  Eric Mitchell

  Gary and Mary West are seeking to have the disqualification of Maximum Security in the 145th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) overturned through a lawsuit filed May 14 with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Lexington Division, according to a media statement issued May 15 by the Wests.

  The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the commission's staff, and the stewards at Churchill Downs - Kentucky chief steward Barbara Borden, Brooks "Butch" Becraft, and association steward Tyler Picklesimer - are named as defendants in the lawsuit that refers to the disqualification of Maximum Security from first to 17th as a "bizarre and unconstitutional process."

   "The insubstantuality of the evidence relied on by the stewards to disqualify Maximum Security, and the bizarre and unconstitutional process to which the plaintiffs were subjected before and after the disqualification, are the subjects of this action," the media statement attributes to the lawsuit.

   Other key points raised in the lawsuit are as follows:

 Either during the running of the Derby or after, the stewards could have directed a sign be flashed on the infield board informing the public that an inquiry was being conducted by them to determine whether a foul had been committed.  Having not observed any foul or interference, there was no inquiry by the stewards.

 According to the lawsuit, an objection was first lodged by Flavien Prat, the jockey on Country House, who was declared the winner after the disqualification.  Prat's objection was disallowed as "meritless."  An objection was also lodged by Jon Court, the rider of Long Range Toddy, who finished 17th, and Court's objection was allowed.

 The statement issued by the stewards after the disqualification, according to the lawsuit, said: "We interviewed affected riders" and "determined" that Maximum Security had "drifted out and impacted the progress of Number 1 (War of Will), in turn interfering with the 18 (Long Range Toddy) and 21 (Bodexpress)."

 The Wests' lawsuit notes the stewards said nothing about whether the alleged foul altered the finish of the Derby or otherwise caused any horse to have been denied a better placement in the order of finish.  Bodexpress finished 14th, and neither Tyler Gaffalione (the rider of War of Will) nor War of Will's connections - nor Bodexpress' connections and jockey Chris Landeros - lodged any objection with the stewards.

 According to the lawsuit, neither Gaffalione, the rider of the horse the stewards said was most "affected" by Maximum Security, nor Landeros were interviewed by the stewards..

 "When the stewrads said in their statement that they 'interviewed affected riders,'  they were not truthful because neither Gaffalione nor Landeros was interviewed by the stewards," the lawsuit states.

  The Wests filed the lawsuit after pursuing an appeal with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and having that request denied because the state law does not allow for appeals.  All stewards' findings are considered final.

   "As a result of the disqualification, plaintiffs, the trainer, and the jockey of Maximum Security were denied any part of the $1,860,000 share of the Derby purse as well as a professional accomplishment that any horseman would cherish for life, plus the very substantial value that a Kentucky Derby winner has as a stallion," according to the Wests' statement. "The winner's share of the Derby purse was paid to the connections of Country House, even though Prat's objection was meritless, indeed frivolous.  Country House's connections received approximately $1.26 million more for being elevated to first than they would have received for second."

   Seeking redress from a violation of due process rights, the lawsuit requests "a reversal of the decision disqualifying Maximum Security and reinstatement of the original order of finish confirming that Maximum Security is the official winner of the Derby who remains undefeated."

   The lawsuit also notes the disqualification affected wagers estimated to be worth more than $100 million in winnings.  Within a couple hours after the Derby, the TwinSpires.com online wagering platform and other Churchill Downs-related companies announced they would reimburse winning wagers on Maximum Security.

   "Which can be viewed as an admission that Churchill itself disagreed with the stewards' decision," the Wests' statement read.  "Those bettors who did not wager through Churchill-related companies were left with no financial recourse, notwithstanding that Churchill received significant revenue from all of the outlets to whom they sent their signal."

   The Wests said they are not involved in any potential class action among bettors and no further comment from the West team will be made on that issue, although they expressed empathy for those people who lost approximately $100 million on their wagers because of the stewards' actions.

*****  End of The Bloodhorse article *****

I am still gob-smacked by the stewards' decision to suspend Luis Saez's riding privileges for 15 days  because of his ride on Maximum Security in the Derby.

The day before his hearing with the stewards - the same three who disqualified Maximum Security, the lawyer for Luis supplied them with a video of the race, which showed slow motion and isolation views of Maximum Security during his alleged interference.  This video clearly shows that War of Will's jockey Tyler Gaffalione tried to split horses - trying to make an opening where there was none - and ran up onto and into the hindquarters of Maximum Security, causing him to (finally) move away from the rail after being struck with hooves and knees.  The next to last strike was, essentially, a knee to the groin.  That caused the colt to swerve out, which Luis Saez attributed to crowd noise, not realizing that War of Will was running on top of his mounts' heels.  The stewards apparently did not look at the video - or, if they did, they decided to keep ins step with their original call on the first Saturday of May.  They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

    If you have not seen the video, which is about 6 minutes long, please visit  the newspaper article at https://www.kentucky.com/latest-news/article230280214.html?fbclid=IwAR0KjMVNPVX1JZ-rR_AYOoVF0zBU__yEIzVW37u7CMPQmG4ua7Z9PaS5-nY   and watch the video embedded at the top.   I know I'd always want attorney Anna Oldfather on MY side......

 In the meantime, Maximum Security is housed at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, and is training for the Haskell Invitational.  He and his connections welcome visitors at the barn.....