WHAT A MESS
Despite a year of chaos for the sport, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby is Saturday
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
What happened next set horse racing off on a year long odyssey of chaos: from a historic DQ to doping, from lawsuits to a pandemic, and now a Triple Crown turned upside down.
Amidst the uncertainty, Tiz the Law has emerged.
A victory in the 146th Derby on Saturday would put the colt bred in upstate New York in position to become racing's 14th Triple Crown winner going into next month's Preakness.
“If he won it, he'd have an asterisk,” rival owner Jack Wolf said. “I'd rather have an asterisk than not have it.”
The corona virus up ended the Triple Crown, turning the series from a five- week sprint into a 15-week marathon and scrambling the order.
Instead of leading off on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby shifted to Labor Day weekend.
It's being sandwiched between the Belmont Stakes in mid-June and the Preakness in early October.
It took until days before this year's race to confirm last year's Derby winner.
Maximum Security' s owners sued in an effort to overturn the decision by Churchill Downs stewards that disqualified their colt for interference, an unprecedented move.
Last week, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court' s decision to dismiss the lawsuit by Gary and Mary West.
They have dropped any further appeals.
Country House, the second-place finish er, was declared the winner.
In March, Maximum Security's trainer Jason S erv is was indicted, along with over two dozen other trainers, ass istants, veterinarians and pharmacists, in connection with a horse doping ring.
Federal authorities allege that S erv is was part of a network of racing insiders that sold, distributed and drugged horses to enhance their performance.
Defense attorneys are waiting to review all of the government's evidence against their clients.
No trial date has been set.
In late February, Maximum Security won the Saudi Cup. However, the West shave yet to receive $10 million in purse money.
It's been withheld by race organizer spending the outcome of their investigation, which was prompted by Servis' indictment. Maximum Security has never tested positive for an illegal substance.
The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia said the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the process, though it said purse money would be paid out to the owners of horses that finished second through 10th.
After S erv is' indictment, the Wests hired Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, to train Maximum Security.
Still, the hits kept coming.
The corona virus brought the nation to a virtual stand still in mid-March.
Racing eventually resumed and fans went from cheering at the rail to yelling at their laptops and phones while betting online.
Fans weren't allowed at the Belmont Stakes.
At first, Churchill Downs was going to allow a limited number of spectators, then decided against it.
“Who would have ever thought you' d run the Kentucky Derby with no fans?” Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said.