The jockey responsible for causing interference that resulted in Maximum Security’s historic disqualification as the Kentucky Derby winner was suspended for 15 days, state racing officials said Monday. Luis Saez was cited for failing “to make the proper effort to maintain a straight course” during the May 4 race at Churchill Downs, the stewards of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced. His lawyer called the suspension “unwarranted” and said the rider’s legal team will file an appeal within 10 days. The attorneys are also seeking a stay of the penalty, pending appeal. MAXIMUM SECURITY OWNER SAYS HE'LL SUE TO OVERTURN KENTUCKY DERBY DQ AFTER APPEAL DENIED “He had a flawless ride in the Kentucky Derby and there’s no reason that the stewards should have given any discipline to him,” attorney Sean Deskins of the Oldfather Law Firm in Louisville said. “He did everything that he was required to do and that was within his power to control the horse.” The suspension against Saez is five times longer than the usual penalty for a riding infraction and covers May 23-27, May 30-June 2, June 6-9 and June 13-14. Maximum Security led a muddy Derby from wire to wire, holding off Country House down the stretch in a trip that initially appeared to improve the 9-2 second betting choice to 5-0 lifetime. He was dropped to 17th by stewards, however, after it was ruled the horse interfered with several other horses between the far and final turns of the 1 1/4-mile race. Maximum Security was near the rail before veering several racing lanes to his right and making contact with War of Will, who retreated, Long Range Toddy and Bodexpress. WAR OF WILL TRAINER EXPRESSES OUTRAGE OVER MAXIMUM SECURITY OWNER'S KENTUCKY DERBY REMARKS Video shows Saez did correct the horse, eventually pulling him back toward the rail. Last week, Mark Casse, War of Will’s trainer, told the Courier-Journal he believes Saez intentionally blocked his horse and compared the horse’s run to a “drunk driver.” “He carried everybody out intentionally, and then he dives in,” Casse told the Courier-Journal. “It’s almost like following a drunk driver. You don’t know which direction he’s going to go. … People were taking shots at Tyler, saying he should have went inside or should have went outside. That really upset me. I went back and watched the entire race and noticed that we were bothered not just in the main event, but we were herded prior to that.” Country House, a 65-1 shot was elevated and declared the winner. It was the first time the horse finishing first at the Derby was disqualified for interference. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The new ruling comes a week after the racing commission denied an appeal of Maximum Security’s disqualification by co-owner Gary West. That decision came hours after West announced that the horse would not run in this weekend’s Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore. West told Fox News recently he would "file a lawsuit in the appropriate jurisdiction" after the denial. Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and Samuel Chamberlain and the Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Luis Saez was suspended for 15 racing days after the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission determined that his ride aboard Maximum Security interfered with other riders in the Kentucky Derby. Saez and his colt led nearly every step of the way of the race and finished first, but they were disqualified and placed 17th after Maximum Security appeared to jump a puddle on a wet, sloppy Churchill Downs racetrack. The move set off a chain reaction that stopped the progress of horses behind them and prompted racing officials to move runner-up Country House to first place. In the ruling, the commission said Saez was being punished for “failure to control his mount and make the proper effort to maintain a straight course thereby causing interference with several rivals that resulted in the disqualification of his mount.”<doc-sep>Photo : Tom Pennington ( Getty While disgraced horse Maximum Security seeks justice in the courts following his disqualification in the Kentucky Derby for unruly racing, his jockey, a man named Luis Saez, has been suspended by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for “failure to control his mount and make the proper effort to maintain a straight course.” Advertisement In the May 4 race, Maximum Security—who I keep wanting to refer to as “Security” as if that’s his surname—broke loose down the home stretch and finished first by a length and a half, but was disqualified soon after when video review determined he’d zig-zagged up the track in such a way that he interfered with the paths of other horses. This ruling was the first such disqualification in the long history of horse racing’s signature event, and resulted in first place being retroactively awarded to Country House, who finished second in the actual running. Some would describe this kind of anticlimactic result as more evidence that video replay is a scourge which must be eradicated across sports; others, arguing an opposing view, are weenies. Because of the way the horse racing calendar is laid out, Saez’s suspension could prevent him from participating in the remaining legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Like his mount, he is seeking to have this ruling overturned. Per the Louisville Courier-Journal: His lawyer, Ann Oldfather, said he will appeal immediately and expects to overturn “this unsupported and unsupportable suspension.” She said she also will ask that the suspension be stayed pending the appeal. If it is not, it would prohibit Saez from riding June 8 in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park because other states, including New York and Maryland, honor suspensions issued in Kentucky, according to spokesmen for racing commissions in those two states. Saez will be suspended May 23-27, May 30-31, June 1-2, June 6-9 and June 13-14. Neither Maximum Security nor Country house will run in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, depriving the sport of both the chance of a Triple Crown winner and a gripping redemption story. By God, the PC Police have gone too far this time.<doc-sep>
Luis Saez, jockey of Maximum Security, is under suspension after the controversial Kentucky Derby. (Getty Images) Stewards for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced in a statement Monday that Luis Saez, Maximum Security’s jockey, is suspended 15 days for interfering with riders during the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby. Maximum Security crossed the finish line first but was later disqualified after a post-race review, a first for the Kentucky Derby. Country Horse was named the winner while Maximum Security was officially placed 17th. Stewards suspend Saez for interference The stewards met with those involved Friday. Saez and his lawyers provided a video alleging War of Will and his jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, were the ones to interfere. The video highlights language used by announcers during the race and the “domino effect” caused by War of Will that also resulted in the horse scraping against Maximum Security’s hooves. War of Will’s trainer Mark Casse compared Saez to a “drunk driver” earlier in the week. The KHRC suspended Saez for “failure to control his mount and make the proper effort to maintain a straight course thereby causing interference with several rivals that resulted in the disqualification of his mount.” No other jockeys will be punished, per the statement. Saez will be suspended beginning May 23. It runs through June 14. The race days are May 23-27, May 30-31, June 1-2, June 6-9 and June 13-14. Saez plans to appeal Attorneys for Saez intend to appeal the suspension, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. It can be appealed to the commission and the courts, unlike the decision to disqualify a horse. Karen Murphy, an attorney for Maximum Security owners Gary and Mary West, told the Courier-Journal that Saez “didn’t do anything wrong.” The owners, as of late last week, were still evaluating their legal options. They filed an appeal the Monday after the race but it was quickly denied by the KHRC. Saez, 26, is a native of Panama. He has won several races at Belmont Park in New York since the derby, per the Courier-Journal, including a first-place spot at the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes over the weekend. Story continues The Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, is Saturday. Maximum Security will not race due to health reasons. The suspension does not begin until late next week, opening the door for Saez to ride a different horse. The Belmont Stakes is June 8, which falls in the middle of his suspension. More from Yahoo Sports: