For all the talk on this thread about the need to protect the horses’ safety—a laudable goal, to be sure—the rule under which Maximum Security was DQed says nothing about safety. It’s a foul to “interfere with, intimidate, or impede any other horse or jockey.” In short, it’s all about impairing another horse’s chances of winning or improving its finishing position.
If they were concerned about the safety of horses and jockeys, the managers of the Kentucky Derby would not have allowed such a large field. With that many horses, it’s almost inevitable that there will be some bumping and jostling as jockeys battle to create a clear path. That’s what War of Will did when, hemmed in by horses to his right and Maximum Security running in a straight line ahead of him, he first attempted to nudge the horses to his right farther outside, away from the rail, and then, failing that, ran straight into Maximum Security ahead of him, fouling him several times. It was only at that point that Maximum Security left his lane, apparently to get away from being kicked from behind. Apparently a complaint of interference was also filed against War of Will but never investigated, and the stewards didn’t even bother to talk to the jockey who filed the complaint against War of Will even though the stewards said his horse had been interfered with.