Luis Saez rides Maximum Security to the finish line first against Flavien Prat on Country House during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. Photo / AP
Luis Saez rides Maximum Security to the finish line first against Flavien Prat on Country House during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. Photo / AP
Maximum Security led the Kentucky Derby every step of the way except for the last one — into the winner's circle.
The colt became the first winner disqualified for interference in the Derby's 145-year history, leading to an agonising wait and an eventual stunning reversal that made 65-1 shot Country House the winner Sunday.
Country House finished second in the slop before objections were raised, causing a 20-minute delay while stewards repeatedly reviewed several angles of video footage before he was elevated into the winner's circle.
That gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his first Derby victory at age 65.
"It's bittersweet. You always want to win with a clean trip and have everybody recognize the horse as the very good horse and great athlete that he is," Mott said. "Due to the disqualification, I think some of that is diminished."
"Looking at the tote board there's probably a lot of people that didn't think we could win," Mott said, "but that's horse racing."
Country House was dismissed as a long shot with a bad post on the far outside. It was only the chestnut colt's second win in seven career starts and his first stakes victory.
Maybe this was one for his father: Lookin At Lucky got saddled with the dreaded No. 1 post in the 2010 Derby, where he got pinned to the rail and wound up sixth. He rebounded to win the Preakness two weeks later.
The disqualification was a crushing turn of events for Maximum Security trainer Jason Servis and jockey Luis Saez, who already had begun celebrating what they thought were their first Derby victories.
Flavien Prat celebrates after riding Country House to victory during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. Photo / AP
Instead, previously undefeated Maximum Security was dropped to 17th of 19 horses. Sent off as the 9-2 second choice, Maximum Security was placed behind all the horses that he bothered.
"I never put anybody in danger," Saez said.
Servis backed up his jockey, saying: "He's right. He straightened him up right away and I didn't think it affects the outcome of the race."
Prat claimed that Maximum Security ducked out in the final turn and forced several horses to steady, including Long Range Toddy, whose jockey, Jon Court, also lodged an objection. War of Will came perilously close to clipping heels with Maximum Security, which could have caused a chain-reaction accident.
"There were two horses in the race that lost all chance to win a Kentucky Derby," Mott said. "They were in position at the time to hit the board. If what happened to us was the only thing they were looking at I don't think you would have seen a disqualification."
Mott said the incident was caused by Maximum Security's action and not Saez's riding tactics.
"I don't think Luis Saez did anything intentionally," the trainer said. "My heart actually aches for them a little bit. That's the way it is. I've been on the other end of it, just not in the Kentucky Derby."
The stewards reviewed race footage while keeping the crowd of 150,729 and millions more watching on television and online in suspense, clutching their betting tickets. Trainers and jockeys involved stared at the closest video screen waiting for a result.
"I know the stewards had a very, very difficult decision," Mott said. "I'm damn glad they put our number up."
Code of Honor was moved up to second and Tacitus — also trained by Mott — was third.
Improbable was fourth and Game Winner fifth, two of trainer Bob Baffert's trio of entries. His other horse, Roadster, was 15th.
The last claim of foul by a jockey in the Derby was unsuccessful. John Velazquez, aboard runner-up Invisible Ink in 2001, alleged interference at the quarter pole against Monarchos and Jorge Chavez, who crossed the finish line 4¾ lengths in front. The stewards didn't change the result.
The only other disqualification in the Derby occurred long after the race in 1968. Dancer's Image, the first-place finisher, tested positive for a prohibited medication, and Kentucky state racing officials ordered the purse money to be redistributed. Forward Pass got the winner's share. A subsequent court challenge upheld the stewards' decision.
Country House wore the garland of red roses, but it's possible the situation doesn't end here. There could be appeals to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission or the courts.
"That's a nightmare. It's a no-win situation for anybody involved," said Mott, who spoke with Servis after the reversal. "I didn't get a hint of that from him. He's been around long enough, and I'm sure he watched the films well enough. He knows what happened."
The surprising flip threw a few bettors into a frenzy, too. Some who had wagered on Country House to win immediately tossed away their tickets at the finish, only to then scramble to the ground at Churchill Downs, frantically searching for their betting slips.
Master Fencer, the first Japan-bred to run in the Derby, was sixth. War of Will was seventh, followed by Plus Que Parfait, Win Win Win, Cutting Humor, By My Standards and Vekoma.
Bodexpress finished 13th, followed by Tax, Roadster, Long Range Toddy, Maximum Security, Spinoff and Gray Magician.
