Maximum Security owner would welcome $10m loss to deter future dopers

Owner Gary West has said he would be supportive of a decision that would strip his horse Maximum Security of victory in the 2020 Saudi Cup and cause a redistribution of the race's $20 million (£16.2m/€17.2m) in prize-money.

Maximum Security won the Saudi Cup on February 29, 2020, just nine days before trainer Jason Servis was among an original group of 27 defendants charged with the doping of thoroughbred and standard-bred racehorses.

At the New York federal court on Friday, Servis entered a guilty plea to charges of doping horses under his care with performance-enhancing drugs that were undetectable in tests by racing regulators.

West, who at the time of the Saudi Cup co-owned Maximum Security with his wife Mary and the Coolmore team of Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, said: "We believe in the justice system and have patiently waited for the legal prosecution to take its course.

"Now that Jason Servis has entered a guilty plea, we want to make it clear that if the Saudi Cup purse is redistributed we would support that decision. Hopefully, that action will prevent future conduct of this nature. We believe the decision to take the Saudi Cup purse from Maximum Security and redistribute it is the correct one."

About a month after Servis, who trained Maximum Security for ten starts capped by the Saudi Cup, was arrested in March 2020, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia officials froze the $10m winner's share of the prize-money, saying they could not reach a fair and reasonable decision on the outcome until the case against the trainer was settled.

In submitting his plea to United States district court judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, Servis told the court that Maximum Security had been administered SGF-1000, a prohibited substance that he had falsely billed to owners as "acupuncture and chiropractic".

Servis is due to be sentenced on May 18, 2023, when he could be facing a prison term of up to four years.

Trainer Jason Servis: facing a prison term of up to four yearsCredit: Edward Whitaker

If Maximum Security is disqualified Midnight Bisou, who was second, would be declared the winner and receive the $10m share of the purse.

In addition Benbatl, who was third, Mucho Gusto (originally fourth) and Tacitus (fifth) would be promoted to second, third and fourth and have their share of the purse increased to $3.5m for second, $2m for third, and $1.5m for fourth.

Disqualification for Maximum Security would mark the second time he has been stripped of victory in a major Grade 1. While trained by Servis and running for the Wests, Maximum Security crossed the line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, but was demoted to 17th for causing interference.

West went to court to have the stewards' disqualification overturned, but his lawsuit was dismissed in November 2019.

Maximum Security's racing record stands at ten wins and two seconds from 14 outings. He made his final four starts as a four-year-old with trainer Bob Baffert, winning twice, topped by the Grade 1 TVG Pacific Classic Stakes in 2020, before beginning stallion duties at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Kentucky in 2021.

Also included in the arrests was Jorge Navarro, the seven-time leading trainer at Monmouth Park, who entered a guilty plea last year and is serving a five-year prison sentence.

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