Country House wins 2019 Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security disqualified

In front of a crowd of 150,000, the favourite crossed the line first by a length and three-quarters in the $3m (£2.2m) race, the first leg of US Flat racing’s Triple Crown. However, after a delay lasting 20 minutes where stewards reviewed footage of the race, Maximum Security was disqualified having been ruled to have impeded other horses. Country House, the second-place finisher ridden by Flavian Prat for trainer Bill Mott, was declared the winner to become the second-highest-priced winner in 145 runnings of the race.

The victory was the first in the Run for the Roses for Hall of Fame trainer Mott, who ranks second on the all-time wins list at Churchill Downs. Mott had only sent out eight horses previously with his best finish being seventh last year with Hofburg. His first starter, Taylor’s Special in 1984 finished 13th.

After pre-race favourite Omaha Beach was withdrawn earlier in the week, this year’s renewal had all the signs of being an open contest. Maximum Security broke sharp in the 19-horse field under Luis Saez. The front-running winner of the Florida Derby figured to set the pace, and he did, zipping over the wet surface with demanding opening splits of 22.31s and 46.62s while being hounded by Long Range Toddy, Bodexpress and War Of Will, who broke well from the inside post. When the field passed the wire the first time, Country House was ninth.

Maximum Security maintained his advantage through six furlongs while a host of runners gathered momentum to make a bid for glory. War Of Will was gaining along the inside, as was Code of Honor, while Long Range Toddy and then Country House joined the fray.
Maximum Security was challenged strongly by Code of Honor but fought back after a mile. To the outside was a charging Country House. However the drama unfolded when Maximum Security came out as the field made their way around the final turn, in doing so bumping with War Of Will, who was just to his outside and impeding. An objection was subsequently made by Country House’s jockey Flavien Prat as well as Jon Court, the rider of Long Range Toddy.

Barbara Borden, chief steward for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, issued the following statement: “The riders of the 18 [Long Range Toddy] and 20 [Country House] horses in the Kentucky Derby lodged objections against the seven horse, the winner, alleging interference turning for home leaving the quarter pole.

“We had a lengthy review of the race, interviewed affected riders, and determined that the seven horse drifted out and impacted the number 1 [War of Will], who in turn interfered with the 18 and 21 [Bodexpress]. Those horses were all affected. Therefore, we unanimously determined to disqualify number 7 and place him behind 18. That is our typical procedure.”

As the controversial disqualification was announced, Maximum Security’s rider Luis Saez – who had earlier been celebrating with trainer Jason Servis – put his head into his hands in disappointment.

Tacitus, the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets winner and Mott’s other runner in the field, rallied to finish fourth and was awarded the show spot following the disqualification. Maximum Security was placed 17th behind Long Range Toddy.

Regarding a victory he called “bittersweet” in light of the disqualification, Mott said, “First of all, I think our horse ran great. I was really pleased with the position he had. I was pleased with the way Flavien rode him and the way the horse responded for him.

“As far as the win goes, it’s bittersweet. I would be lying if I said it was any different. You always want to win with a clean trip and have everybody recognise the horse for the great athlete that he is. I think, due to the disqualification, probably some of that is diminished. But this is horse racing.

“There were two horses in the race that lost all chance to win a Kentucky Derby, and they were in a position at the time to hit the board. I know the stewards had a very, very difficult decision. I’m glad I wasn’t in their shoes.

“I’m glad I didn’t have to make the decision in front of over a hundred thousand people and the millions of people that are watching on TV around the world. But with that being said, I’m damn glad they put our number up.”

As for the Preakness Stakes and the second leg of the Triple Crown, Mott added: “When I saw that we finished second, I thought the Belmont [Stakes] will be the perfect race.

“The Preakness is not even something that we’ve thought about or discussed. It probably wouldn’t have been my first inclination to do that. We’ll think about it. We’ll see how he is. That’s a big task.”

Gary West, the breeder and owner of Maximum Security said, “That’s horse racing. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you win and lose in the same race.”

Maximum Security is not the first horse to be disqualified in the Kentucky Derby. In 1968, Dancer’s Image finished first but was demoted after discovery of banned substance in a post-race urinalysis. In 1984, the fourth-place finisher Gate Dancer was disqualified for interference in the stretch with Fali Time. Gate Dancer was placed fifth and Fali Time promoted to fourth.

In the 2001 Derby, John Velazquez, aboard Invisible Ink, lodged a claim of foul against the winner, Monarchos, who was ridden by Jorge Chavez, for interference at the quarter pole. After review, the objection was not sustained.

Country House will now go forward to the next step of the Triple Crown which is the Preakness Stakes on 18 May, followed by the Belmont Stakes on 8 June. Only 13 horses in USA Flat racing history have won all three races in a row with the Bob Baffert-trained Justify the last to achieve the feat only last year.

Earlier on the card at Churchill Downs, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. landed the first of three eventual winners by taking out the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes on Beau Recall.

The pair won the Grade 2 race run over a mile for fillies and mares by a length and a quarter from Got Stormy in second and Daddy Is A Legend in third.
Ortiz would then go onto win the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes with Digital Age and also the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes aboard Bricks And Mortar, both for trainer Chad C Brown.

Swiss watchmaker Longines presents the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile and Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, and are the Official Watch and Timekeeper of America’s Triple Crown race series.