Maximum Security’s disqualification in the 2019 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve inspired much controversy, and the debate at times felt like the 1950 Kurosawa film “Rashomon,” where multiple witnesses to an event retell it in vastly different ways. All of us saw the same race, yet so many people have different interpretations of what they saw.
Tag: Legends
Canonero II: A Blue-Collar Hero and True Racehorse of the People
When Canonero II won the 1971 Kentucky Derby, he generated a rather modest return for a $2 win ticket. Yet that $19.40 winning ticket on the "Caracas Cannonball" had nothing to do with the Venezuelan shipper’s merits and everything to do with his inclusion in a gargantuan six-horse mutuel field. Based on his form and a star-crossed trip to the United States, Canonero probably would have been dismissed at 100-1 odds in the 97th Kentucky Derby. Maybe even 200-1, but nothing even remotely close to his 8-1 odds.
Hall of Fame Trainer King Leatherbury: A Maryland Legend
King Leatherbury knows how he wants his training career to be defined. He knows how he would like to be remembered. “If I wanted something on my tombstone,” he said, “it would just be, ‘He won races.’ ”
Smarty Jones: An Unlikely Hero and Beloved Fan Favorite
When John Servis was growing up in Philadelphia, he experienced a recurring dream. He pictured himself in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs, having won the Kentucky Derby as a trainer.
