...That's why I cringed as I watched Bill Mott have to defend himself and Country House for what happened in Louisville. He was the first central figure in the disqualification dispute to state the facts; that a violation had occurred involving the winner Maximum Security and it was up to the stewards to decide how to enforce the rules. It might have sounded self-serving, except this was Bill Mott speaking; the same Bill Mott who was the youngest trainer ever installed in the Hall of Fame, the same Bill Mott who won three Eclipse Awards for outstanding trainer. If ever there was a trainer with an impeccable pedigree, this was racing's man, an upper Midwesterner who could shine a light on the good side of racing in these troubling times for the “sport of kings.”
And after all the on-online bickering and name-calling from disgruntled bettors and racing irregulars that followed in the 24-hour postmortem hysteria, here comes word from the people in the know, his fellow trainers who had horses in the race.
Shug McGaughey, the long-time Phipps trainer and winner of the 2013 Derby with Orb, told the Washington Post, “”When I saw the pictures last night, I have to agree the stewards made the right call.” Mark Casse, whose mount War of Will narrowly avoided a catastrophic collision with Maximum Security, also told the Washington Post, “That controversy yesterday was nothing next to the controversy that would have happened had our horse fallen.” And Todd Pletcher, who has won two Derbys and seven Eclipse Awards, told Newsday, “It was a call you have to make. I think it sends a great message for the integrity of the sport at a time when we've been under fire.”
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