A day after Bold Ruler, Servis still dazzled by Maximum Security's effort

ELMONT, N.Y. – Aside from a cut on the back of his right front ankle, Maximum Security came out of his victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Bold Ruler Handicap at Belmont Park in good shape, trainer Jason Servis said Sunday morning.

Servis said the cut to Maximum Security’s ankle likely happened when he wheeled on the way back to the winner’s circle and, unseating jockey Luis Saez who was able to hold onto the reins.

Servis, who returned to Florida on Saturday night before he was scheduled to leave Monday for Southern California and the Breeders’ Cup, said Maximum Security would remain at his barn at Belmont Park while he and owner Gary West decide where to run the 3-year-old colt next. The two races under consideration are the Grade 1, $600,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Dec. 7.

Servis did not offer a preference on where he wanted to run, but acknowledged that the eight-mile ship from Belmont to Aqueduct is more convenient.

“I’ll let the dust settle and get with Gary,” Servis said.

The Clark would mean a return trip to Churchill Downs where in May Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interfering with several runners nearing the top of the stretch. He was placed 17th.

Servis was still in awe of Maximum Security’s performance in the Bold Ruler, his first start against older horses, in which he led every step of the way and beat Tale of Silence by 1 3/4 lengths. He ran seven furlongs in 1:20.76 – the fastest of 10 Bold Rulers run at that distance – and earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

He did all that having not run since winning the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 20 and having endured a severe bout of colic that forced him to scratch from the Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 21 and caused him to spend one night in an equine clinic.

Servis wasn’t expecting Maximum Security’s best performance Saturday.

“I told Gary I wasn’t expecting his ‘A’ race,” Servis said. “He didn’t look that great, off three months, [was in] the clinic. When he ran like that, I was taken back, I was overwhelmed, really. For him to do all that was special.”

Servis let his emotions show when he got choked up in a post-race interview with Maggie Wolfendale of the New York Racing Association.

The victory was Maximum Security’s third in a graded stakes this year and keeps him in play for an Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old division pending the performances of Code of Honor in the Classic and Omaha Beach in the Dirt Mile.

Servis said he had no regrets about not running in the Breeders’ Cup.

“Gary and I agreed without a prep it wouldn’t be fair to the horse,” Servis said. “If he had run big in the Pennsylvania Derby, we would have looked forward to it.”

Servis will have two runners in the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday at Santa Anita. Firenze Fire, who gave Imperial Hint everything he wanted before losing to him by a nose in the Grade 1 Vosburgh, will run in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Shekky Shebaz drew in from the preference list for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.