Servis assistant Argueta proud of Maximum Security; Happy Farm ready for Tom Fool

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – As he watched several sets of horses train Monday morning at Belmont Park, Henry Argueta, the longtime assistant to trainer Jason Servis, was still beaming with pride over Maximum Security’s victory in Saturday’s inaugural $20 million Saudi Cup.

“Super exciting,” said Argueta, who has been with Servis since 2002. “Amazing horse. And people don’t understand what a great job Jason has done with him. He managed that horse perfect. He would never run that horse if he wasn’t doing good.”

Still, watching the race from home, Argueta was a little concerned at the top of the stretch if Maximum Security and jockey Luis Saez would get up in time to win.

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“He was not in the bridle the way we’re used to seeing,” Argueta said. “Saez knows the horse. Keep riding – he never quits.”

On Monday, Argueta was preparing a few of Servis’ other stakes horses for upcoming engagements, including Happy Farm, the Grade 3 Fall Highweight winner, who is scheduled to run in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct.

Happy Farm had a four-race winning streak snapped when he was run down by stablemate Firenze Fire in the Gravesend on Dec. 22. Having run in the Fall Highweight and Gravesend two weeks apart, Happy Farm was freshened and pointed to the Tom Fool.

“He ran two good races very close together,” Argueta said. “Time will help a lot.”

Firenze Fire is also nominated to the Tom Fool, and Argueta said there is a decision to be made whether to run him Saturday or, as was originally the plan, wait for the Grade 1 Carter on April 4. Just in case the decision is made to run him, Firenze Fire worked a half-mile in 50.16 seconds over the Belmont training track Monday, getting his final quarter in 23.97 seconds.

Firenze Fire, who won the Grade 3 General George at Laurel Park on Feb. 15, was assigned high weight of 126 pounds for the Tom Fool. He is followed by expected starters Mind Control (125), Happy Farm (123), Wonderful Light (122), Wentz (117) and Bon Raison (116).