LOUISVILLE — At first, after the 22 agonizing minutes, an awful purgatory that the owner of Maximum Security noted had accurately captured the “thrill of victory and agony of defeat,” he was more than gracious. Gary West and his wife Mary — philanthropists, telecommunications barons, horse owners — watched as their colt splashed home on a soupy track beneath Churchill Downs iconic spires, bringing them the Kentucky Derby win that had eluded them for 40 years, before it was snatched away from them. That meant Maximum Security committed a foul and could not be declared the winner. “That’s horse racing,” West said, leaving the winner’s circle he’s long been trying to break into so the connections of Country House could enter and hoist the most famous trophy in American horse racing. Sometimes you win and you lose all in the same race.”

Source: New York Times May 05, 2019 19:41 UTC