Maximum Security, War of Will reunited in Pennsylvania Derby

Maximum Security and War of Will were the protagonists at the heart of the controversial Kentucky Derby disqualification, and they will meet for the first time since then in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.

A field of seven was entered Monday for the Pennsylvania Derby, a 1 1/8-mile race that could play a key role in deciding the 3-year-old male championship. Maximum Security drew post 7 while War of Will drew post 4 and Improbable, the beaten favorite in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, drew post 2.

Though Maximum Security crossed the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby, he was disqualified by the stewards and placed 17th for interfering with a couple of horses approaching the top of the stretch. War of Will was one of those horses, as he was attempting to come off the rail when Maximum Security, under Luis Saez, shied from something and came out several paths. War of Will, under Tyler Gaffalione got back into the race and was just to the outside of Maximum Security in the stretch before tiring to eighth. He would be placed seventh.

Maximum Security finished first by 1 3/4 lengths in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Jason Servis, but was disqualified and placed 17th behind Long Range Toddy, another horse deemed by the stewards to have been bothered by Maximum Security. Country House, who crossed the wire second, was elevated to first in the Derby.

Since the Derby, Maximum Security has run twice, finishing second to King for a Day in the Pegasus Stakes after a poor break before coming back to win the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 20 at Monmouth. War of Will came out of the Kentucky Derby to win the Preakness, but then finished ninth of 10 in the Belmont Stakes and fifth of six in the Jim Dandy.

Servis said it doesn’t matter to him that this race will rematch Maximum Security and War of Will.

“It doesn’t make any difference. I’m just doing my job and trying to lead [the] best horse over and whatever it is it is,” Servis said recently.

Servis said he’s talked to Mark Casse, trainer of War of Will, and Bill Mott, trainer of Country House, since the Derby.

“No hard feelings. Everybody has a job to do and we’re trying to do the best we can,” Servis said.

On Monday, for the second time in 10 days, Maximum Security made a morning road trip from his base at Monmouth Park to Parx to train over that facility’s main track. Track clockers timed Maximum Security going a mile in 1:57.92, while Servis said he caught the final eighth of Maximum Security’s move in 11.40 seconds.

As he did following a similar training session on Sept. 6, Servis put Maximum Security back on the van and sent him home to Monmouth where he will train until Saturday.

“Textbook, no problems,” Servis said Monday morning as he followed the horse van carrying Maximum Security back to Monmouth Park. “I don’t see any issues. I got a couple of breezes over the track. If he’s not fit, there’s no horse in the country that’s fit.”

War of Will has fired off four consecutive bullet workouts, including a half-mile move in 47.40 Saturday morning at Belmont Park, and Casse likes the idea of having plenty of time between the Jim Dandy on July 27 and Saturday.

Bob Baffert, who has won three of the last five runnings of the Pennsylvania Derby, including last year with McKinzie, will send out Improbable in this year’s running. Improbable, coming off a victory against three rivals in the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar when equipped with blinkers, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 Monday at Santa Anita. He wore blinkers and had Mike Smith, who will ride him Saturday, aboard for the work.

“I just let him work with the blinkers on so [Smith] could get used to him,” Baffert said.

Mr. Money, a winner of four consecutive Grade 3 stakes, is training forwardly for Bret Calhoun. Completing the field are Spun to Run, who won the Grade 3 Smarty Jones at Parx on Sept. 2; Math Wizard, second in the Grade 2 Ohio Derby; and the maiden Shanghai Superfly.

Undefeated Guarana in Cotillion

Guarana, undefeated in three starts, including two Grade 1 stakes, and Serengeti Empress, the Kentucky Oaks winner, head a field of 11 entered Monday for Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx.

Guarana, trained by Chad Brown for Three Chimneys Farm, defeated Serengeti Empress by six lengths in the Grade 1 Acorn on June 8. She then came back to win the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks by a length in her first start around two turns. She will break from post 8.

Serengeti Empress came out of the Acorn to run second to Covfefe in the Grade 1 Test at seven furlongs. She will stretch back out around two turns for the first time since the Kentucky Oaks in the Cotillion, which offers a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

For the third straight race, Serengeti Empress will break from the rail.

Jaywalk, the 2-year-old filly champion of 2018, won the Delaware Oaks by nine lengths before being upset by Horologist in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks. Jaywalk is parked out in post 11.

Horologist is in the Cotillion, as is Bellafina, the Santa Anita Oaks winner, and Jeltrin, the 7 3/4-length winner of the Cathryn Sophia at Parx on Sept. 2. Afleet Destiny, Collegeville Girl, She Makes Me Smile, Street Band, and Sweet Sami D round out the field.

◗ Bulletin, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner, will try dirt for the first time in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes for 3-year-olds at six furlongs.

Mike Smith will ride Bulletin, who will face a field that includes King Jack, Landeskog, Bethlehem Road, Get Hammered, Strong Will, Trophy Chaser, War Tocsin, and War Bridle.

◗ Coal Front, winner of the 2017 Gallant Bob, heads a field of eight entered in the $150,000 Parx Dirt Mile.