By Richard Rosenblatt
Maximum Security
Maximum Security may have his toughest race of the year when he takes on older horses for the first time as well as Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run in the $750,000 Cigar Mile (G1) on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
A formidable field of 11 has been entered for the prestigious race, and could help determine the Eclipse Award winner for champion 3-year-old male.
Gary and Mary West’s Maximum Security, who finished first the Kentucky Derby (G1) but was DQ’d for interference and placed 17th, comes into the race off victories in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park and the Bold Ruler (G3) at Belmont Park. The Jason Servis-trainee has finished first in seven of his eight career starts, and a win on Saturday would certainly give him a claim to the 3-year-old championship.
Robert P. Donaldson’s Spun to Run, also a 3-year-old, is coming off a victory in the BC Dirt Mile last month, and provides stiff competition. Spun to Run was third in the Haskell.
Post time for the Cigar Mile is 4:16 p.m. ET. The race will be televised on FS2 and MSG+ from 3-4:30 p.m.
The field, from the rail out:
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitmore | Ron Moquett | Joel Rosario | 8-1 |
| Bal Harbour | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 8-1 |
| Forewarned | Anthony Salgado | Uriah St. Lewis | 30-1 |
| Pat On the Back | Jeremiah Englehart | Dylan Davis | 15-1 |
| Maximum Security | Jason Servis | Luis Saez | 3-2 |
| Spun to Run | Jose Carlos Guerrero | Irad Ortiz, Jr | 5-2 |
| Nicodemus | Linda Rice | Manny Franco | 20-1 |
| Network Effect | Chad Brown | Javier Castellano | 15-1 |
| Looking At Bikinis | Chad Brown | Jose Ortiz | 15-1 |
| Tale of Silence | Barclay Tagg | Jose Alvarado | 20-1 |
| True Timber | Kiaran McLaughlin | Joe Bravo | 15-1 |
Over the years while working at The Associated Press, Rich Rosenblatt became a familiar name to legions of the horse racing fans and industry insiders with his award-winning articles on horse racing and his stories from the backstretch.
In addition to being an astute observer of sports, Rosenblatt is the co-author of The All-American Chili Cookbook. His work has been seen in just about every publication in the world, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine.
