By Rich Chrampanis
OCEANPORT – Maximum Security is no stranger to controversy on the biggest stages of thoroughbred horse racing. The 3-year-old horse that crossed the line first at the Kentucky Derby but was ultimately disqualified for interfering with the progress of another horse would see the inquiry sign posted again following his win over Mucho Gusto at the Haskell Invitational Saturday.
The Monmouth Park stewards looked at an incident on the three-eighths pole involving Maximum Security and King for a Day. While the Kentucky Derby decision was a gut-wrenching 22-minute affair, Saturday’s decision was much quicker, and saw Maximum Security avoid a second straight heartbreak in a major race to claim the 52nd edition of the Haskell.
“In my mind, my horse did nothing wrong. I saw other horses going backward at that time so I had no concerns whatsoever that he would be taken down,” owner Gary West said.
Maximum Security covered 1 1⁄8 mile in 1:47.56 to win by 1 1⁄4 lengths and deny Mucho Gusto trainer Bob Baffert a ninth career Haskell triumph.
“That was exciting. I’m glad they didn’t disqualify him (Maximum Security). That would have been awful,” said Baffert.
The 2019 version of the Haskell will ultimately be remembered for scorching heat that caused many to question if the race should have been run at all. With the heat index over 100 degrees throughout the day, Monmouth Park came under intense public scrutiny for deciding to run the Haskell and risk the health of horses, jockeys and the thousands of fans who came to Monmouth Park for the track’s biggest race day of the year.
On the eve of the Haskell, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) made a public plea to postpone the event and hundreds took to social media to make the same request.
“Heat kills, so it’s extremely foolish and reckless for Monmouth Park to stay open with temperatures soaring to record highs,” PETA senior vice president Kathy Guillermo said in a statement. “PETA urges Monmouth and the New Jersey Racing Commission to postpone the Haskell Invitational and cancel racing for the weekend. This is the only way to protect Thoroughbreds from heat-related injuries, like New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania tracks have already recognized. If even one horse collapses, Monmouth officials should be held criminally liable for cruelty.”
Following the first two races, track officials pulled the plug on six races and had its remaining six stakes races on the card delayed until 6:00 pm. As a result, the Haskell’s post time was 8:11 p.m., running just minutes before the sun came down in Oceanport.
“We are grateful to the horsemen who participated today and to the fans who were treated to a spectacular race,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operators of Monmouth Park. “I am equally grateful to their dedication and resolve through a difficult time. As always, the safety of our horses and their riders remains paramount and today’s decision, as are all decisions, are rooted in that premise.”
With an even higher heat index on Sunday, the track canceled its entire card. The Saturday crowd of 25,173 would certainly have been much larger if it weren’t for the long delay and the intense heat. The one-hour national television window on NBC Sports had a lot of talk about the weather and not one of the biggest races on the summer calendar.
Maximum Security cemented his spot in November’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and while the sting of the Kentucky Derby disqualification will never go away, the talented horse is in the conversation for the best 3-year-old.
“My horse has always been in top form. Of them all, he’s now the only one with two Grade 1 wins. He has to be at the top of the class,” West said. “Am I prejudiced? Of course I am.”
“When he was doing as well as he was coming up to the race I had every reason to be confident,” trainer Jason Servis said. “My horse has a lot of heart. He does not mind going head-to-head with any horse.
“I’ve been at Monmouth for 40 years and I worked for 22 years in the jockeys’ room (as a valet). This means a lot to me.”
