Maximum Security a go for Monmouth Park's Pegasus

Trainer Jason Servis on Thursday entered Maximum Security in Sunday's $150,000 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, with the 1 1/16-mile race serving as a springboard to the summer's major races for 3-year-olds, namely Monmouth's July 20 Haskell Invitational (G1) and Saratoga's Aug. 24 Travers Stakes (G1).

Servis considered training Maximum Security -- first across the wire last time in the Kentucky Derby, but disqualified to 17th due to interference -- straight up to the Haskell.

“He’s going to run,” Servis said. “The horse had a really good day today and I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t run.”

Earlier this week, the trainer also ordered bloodwork, as he wondered whether the Gary and Mary West homebred had returned to his Derby levels.

“Maybe I was over-reading things a little too much, trying to be overly cautious,” Servis said. “He’s acting really good and training good and his bloodwork came back good.

“So maybe I just over-reacted a little bit.”

Maximum Security landed Post 2 in a Pegasus field of six. Servis also has winner Direct Order in, while the primary competition figures to come from the Todd Pletcher barn. Last Judgment joins King for a Day, winner of the Sir Barton on Preakness Stakes day.

Post time is 5 p.m. ET for the Pegasus, carded as Race 10.

Maximum Security, by New Year's Day, went into the Kentucky Derby 4-for-4 and a winner of the Florida Derby (G1). But he's also a bit of an underdog story having debuted in December for a $16,000 claiming tag.

Since the first Saturday in May, Servis has breezed his star sophomore twice, with Servis saying along the way that "he’s 5-for-5 in my eyes."

Off the track, Maximum Security's owners, the Wests, have entered a legal battle hoping to overturn Kentucky stewards' decision to disqualify their colt, while jockey Luis Saez is appealing a 15-day suspension from the same panel of racing officials for his Kentucky Derby ride.