Track announcer Richard Hoiles said it best as the remarkable colt MAXIMUM SECURITY overcame being carried out by Mucho Gusto, angled inside and reached for the finish of the $20 million Saudi Cup, barely holding off the filly MIDNIGHT BISOU.
“Once known for the race he lost, now remembered for the race he won.”
The 1 1/8 mile Saudi Cup (G1), the richest race in the world in its first running was a super horse race with the American runners dominating the finish over the desert dirt. Maximum Security, trained to perfection by Jason Servis and pushed to victory by jockey Luis Saez, was making his first start in the colours of Coolmore, which bought stud duties for the colt from breeders Gary and Mary West.
Saez needed to get every ounce of power from Maximum Security (New Year’s Day – Lil Indy), scrubbing the colt to stay with the Bob Baffert trainee Mucho Gusto around the turn into the long stretch run. When Mucho Gusto drifted out and tried to carry ‘Max’ out with him, Seaz angled his colt in and launched his colt to the front.
