Maximum Security Hits Comeback Trail in Bold Ruler

It's the time of year when owner Gary West envisioned watching his two multiple grade 1-winning 3-year-olds, Maximum Security and Game Winner, complete their training for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

But fate has been anything but kind in recent months to West and his wife, Mary, in its treatment of their stable.

Game Winner, last year's champion 2-year-old male, has been sidelined since July and is not expected to race again for trainer Bob Baffert until the calendar turns to 2020.

Meanwhile, their homebred Maximum Security suffered one of the sport's cruelest twists ever in May when he became the first horse to be disqualified from first in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Since then, it's been a roller coaster ride for the Wests and trainer Jason Servis, as Maximum Security went down to defeat in the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes and then won the TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) in high temperatures at his summer home of Monmouth Park.

The Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) was targeted as the next stop for the homebred son of New Year's Day who was dropped to 17th in the Run for the Roses, but his saga took another tumultuous turn when he came down with colic five days before the race, knocking him out of the Parx Racing stakes and the Breeders' Cup Classic as well.

Gary West now finds himself in the unfortunate position of being on the outside looking in at the 1 1/4-mile test Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

"Absolutely, it's disappointing to miss the Breeders' Cup," he said. "Anyone who wouldn't be disappointed to have two horses who were among the best 3-year-olds in May and not get either of them to run in the Breeders' Cup would have to be lying to tell you it isn't disappointing. Is it the worst thing in the world? No. I've had much bigger disappointments in life than that. But it is disappointing."

So while a contingent of New York's best horses will ship west this weekend for the World Championships in California, Maximum Security will head to Belmont Park for the $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap (G3), a seven-furlong test Oct. 26 that is seen by his connections as a springboard to major grade 1 stakes in the next few months.

"Obviously, I have some concerns about a long layoff and running seven-eighths of a mile. It's probably not his best distance, but having said that, it's a great race to get him started again," West said.

In Maximum Security's first race against older horses, seven rivals turned out to face him, including Prince Lucky, True Timber, and Tale of Silence, who were second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the one-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) Sept. 21 at Belmont. Servis' Kentucky Derby-winning brother, trainer John Servis, is also taking a shot at the speedy 3-year-old, sending out multiple graded stakes-placed Diamond King.

West admits he's uncertain whether Maximum Security will need a race off a three-month layoff, but he's confident his homebred's medical issues are behind him.

"We would not run this horse under any circumstances if he was not 100%. Jason says he's doing as well as ever," said West, who added he has yet to receive any news or updates from the U.S. District Court in Kentucky about the lawsuit he filed in May over the stewards' decision to disqualify his 3-year-old in the Run for the Roses. "Jason and I use an abundance of caution. If a doctor tells us to give a horse a week off, I say give him two weeks off to make sure he's fully recovered."

West said Maximum Security was unable to pass fluids when he became ill last month and veterinarians had to remove the fluid from his stomach in order to nurse him back to good health.

"Thankfully, his stomach wasn't twisted," said West, whose philanthropic efforts include donating more than $200 million to reduce health-care costs and help senior citizens through the Gary and Mary West Foundation. "They pumped fluids out of his body, and once they got it out, he experienced some immediate relief and they were able to treat him without surgery. Colic is a tough thing to go through, and I told Jason it doesn't matter if Maximum Security doesn't run until next year because we're going to run him as a 4-year-old. I want him to be as good as he can be, and there's no rush in getting him there."

West listed either the Nov. 29 Clark Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs or the Dec. 7 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack as possibilities for the bay colt's next start, if all goes well Saturday. The $9 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park would be the major target to kick off his 4-year-old season.

Maximum Security drew the rail and will be handled by regular rider Luis Saez.

He will carry high weight of 121 pounds, one more than Daniel McConnell's Prince Lucky, a grade 2-winning son of Corinthian, and Curragh Stables' grade 1-placed Killybegs Captain, a son of Mizzen Mast .

The Bold Ruler will be the eighth of 10 races at Belmont, with a post time of 4:40 p.m. ET.

The card also features the $100,000 English Channel Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf and the $100,000 Awad Stakes for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf.