UPDATE: The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission denied an appeal by the owner of Maximum Security over the result of the Kentucky Derby, ruling Monday that the stewards' decision to overturn the result was not subject to appeal. Gary West's only recourse now appears to be through the legal system.
Original story:
One of the most controversial and stunning finishes in Kentucky Derby history is causing a Triple Crown ripple effect. An objection over an impediment down the stretch led to would-be winner Maximum Security being disqualified after a 20-plus minute review.
Now, Maximum Security's owner Gary West wants to appeal the result that led to long-shot Country House taking the Run for the Roses and said that his horse won't be running in the Preakness.
"If the state racing commission refuses to hear about it, I think this is something that's big enough that the entire racing world is looking at this," West told NBC. "And I think they deserve an opportunity to really know what was going on."
He added that he sees no point in Maximum Security participating in May 18's Preakness Stakes because the horse can no longer win the Triple Crown.
"There's no Triple Crown on the line for us, and there's no reason to run a horse back in two weeks when you don't have to," West said.
One of his biggest issues with the Derby result was how the Kentucky Derby stewards handled the situation.
"I was bit shocked and surprised that the (race) stewards wrote a statement that was probably prepared by their lawyers and refused, literally refused, to take a single question from the media," West said. "So they've been about as non-transparent about this whole thing as anything I've ever seen in my life."
Maximum Security did lead on the Churchill Downs track from wire-to-wire, so it's hardly surprising that West is this upset.
