That was fast.
Gary and Mary West, owners of Maximum Security, filed an appeal of the disqualification with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday.
Here’s a look at the appeal:
Gary and Mary West, owners of Maximum Security, have filed an appeal of the DQ with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission: pic.twitter.com/Q3IpUX9skR
— Annie Moore (@AnyMoreSports) May 6, 2019
Just hours later, the appeal was denied.
Well that didn't take long. The appeal filed on behalf of Gary and Mary West – owners of Maximum Security – has already been denied by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
— Jody Demling (@jdemling) May 6, 2019
Now, owner Gary West says he plans to file a lawsuit to have the decision overturned:
The owner of Maximum Security, the first horse ever disqualified from the Kentucky Derby for interference after crossing the finish line first, told Fox News on Monday evening that he would “file a lawsuit in the appropriate jurisdiction” after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) denied his appeal of the Churchill Downs stewards’ decision.
Gary West told “The Story with Martha MacCallum” that he “expected” the ruling from the KHRC, which ruled that the stewards’ decision was not subject to appeal and denied a request to stay the disqualification ruling pending appeal.
Maximum Security finished Saturday’s race a length and three-quarters ahead of longshot Country House on a sloppy track. However, after two jockeys filed objections, the race stewards determined that Maximum Security had impeded the paths of several horses in the race. The disqualification elevated Country House to the winner’s circle.
West announced yesterday that Maximum Security will not run in the Preakness Stakes in two weeks.
According to this article, West is so upset over the Derby decision that he has threatened to get out of horse racing:
“He said, ‘You know what Benny, we tried to do this for 40 years and now we did it and the whole world is telling us we got robbed,” Glass said. “He said, ‘We’ve been doing this for 40 years and in 22 minutes they took it all away from us. Mr. West told me today that he thought maybe this would be a good time to graciously bow out of racing. He’s spent hundreds of millions of dollars in Kentucky on racehorses and after this he thinks that maybe his time and resources could be put to better use.”
Glass said that if West does divest his racing and breeding stock he would spend more time and money on one of his other passions, The Gary and Mary West Foundation. According to the charity’s website, the foundation is a “501(c)(3) private, non-operating Foundation, established in 2006 and solely funded by Gary and Mary West, provid[ing] outcomes-based funding to support initiatives that lower the cost of healthcare to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence.”
“He spends millions on his foundation and a lot of time on it,” Glass said. “He’s thinking it may be time to do even more for the elderly. He’s at a crossroads right now. He’s 73 and thinking maybe it’s time to bow out of racing and spend more of his time helping the needy.”
When asked if he thought West was serious, Glass replied: “I can’t tell you. Only he knows. But he’s never said that to me before. I think this hurt him really bad.”
