Officials recommend DQ of Maximum Security from Saudi Cup win

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia recommended Tuesday that Maximum Security be disqualified from his win in the 2020 Saudi Cup and that trainer Jason Servis should be sanctioned.

If the recommendation is followed, the $10 million winner's share apparently would go to the connections of Midnight Bisou, who crossed the wire second, three-quarters of a length behind Maximum Security.

Payment of the purse for the Feb. 29, 2020, race was stopped after the March 9, 2020, federal indictment of Servis, who was accused of providing performance-enhancing drugs to "virtually all of the racehorses under his control." Servis pleaded guilty in 2022 to two charges related to the indictments and was sentenced in July to four years in prison.

After Servis made his plea, Maximum Security owners Gary and Mary West said they supported the redistribution of the 2020 Saudi Cup purse. The Wests said reallocating the purse would "hopefully ... prevent future conduct of this nature."

After that statement, the JCSA said it would continue its investigation into the release of the prize money, and Tuesday's announcement marks the conclusion of the investigation.

The JCSA said it “will contend that the stewards committee should sanction Jason Servis and disqualify Maximum Security” and that the inquiry by the stewards committee “will take place in due course.”