History was made on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby as the winning horse “has been disqualified,” according to the Associated Press.
Minutes after Maximum Security crossed the finish line at Churchhill Downs and became the 145th winner, the horse’s victory became “uncertain,” the AP reported.
Flavien Prat, the jockey of Country House, filed a rider’s objection claiming that Maximum Security veered out of his path in the final turn, and it was upheld following a lengthy review, ESPN reported.
Prat claimed that Maximum Security ducked out in the final turn and forced several horses to steady. War of Will came perilously close to clipping heels with Maximum Security, which could have caused a chain-reaction accident, the AP reported.
Within an instant, Maximum Security’s title was revoked making Prat’s horse the winner.
“Country House, second across the finish line, wins the Kentucky Derby,” the AP posted on their Twitter account.
They had to wait a little longer to celebrate but the connections of Country House are Kentucky Derby winners!pic.twitter.com/TuMtTvIv7j
There was another disqualification in the Kentucky Derby history, but not for an on-the-track violation.
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, according to the AP. Forward Pass got the winner’s share. A subsequent court challenge upheld the stewards’ decision.
