The Kentucky Derby leaves many jockeys and trainers disappointed each year. But this year, nobody was more frustrated than Maximum Security’s team, who had already begun celebrating victory before being told that they’d been disqualified.
Despite finishing first, Maximum Security was quite literally removed from the Winner’s Circle when it was announced that the horse and its jockey had interfered with other contestants in the race. As a result, second finisher Country House was declared the winner.
The result was historic on a few fronts. Country House entered the race with 65-1 odds, becoming the second biggest underdog to ever win the race. It was also just the second time in history that a Kentucky Derby “winner” was disqualified.
It was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved, and certainly a Derby to remember.