“As a result of the disqualification, plaintiffs, the trainer, and the jockey of Maximum Security were denied any part of the $1,860,000 share of the Derby purse as well as a professional accomplishment that any horseman would cherish for life, plus the very substantial value that a Kentucky Derby winner has as a stallion,” according to the Wests’ statement. “The winner’s share of the Derby purse was paid to the connections of Country House, even though Prat’s objection was meritless, indeed frivolous. Country House’s connections received approximately $1.26 million more for being elevated to first than they would have received for second.”
The lawsuit requests;
“a reversal of the decision disqualifying Maximum Security and reinstatement of the original order of finish confirming that Maximum Security is the official winner of the Derby who remains undefeated.”
The suit also highlights the disqualification of Maximum Security affected wagers estimated to be worth more than $100 million in winnings. A couple hours after the Kentucky Derby, TwinSpires.com online wagering platform and other Churchill Downs-related companies announced they would reimburse winning wagers on Maximum Security up to $10.
“Which can be viewed as an admission that Churchill itself disagreed with the stewards’ decision,” the Wests’ statement read. “Those bettors who did not wager through Churchill-related companies were left with no financial recourse, notwithstanding that Churchill received significant revenue from all of the outlets to whom they sent their signal.”
