Country House won the 145th Kentucky Derby without ever leading the race. The next day the horse got sick and hasn't raced since. Pat Forde tells the short, strange story of Country House.
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00:00 Country House is perhaps the most controversial winner in Kentucky Derby history and the subject
00:08 of today's daily cover.
00:10 I'm joined by its author, senior writer Pat Forty.
00:13 Pat, just a fascinating story because not the kind of tale you typically tell with a
00:18 Kentucky Derby winner.
00:20 No, not at all.
00:22 That's for sure.
00:23 It was the strangest Kentucky Derby I have seen and I've covered 32 straight of that
00:29 race and there's never been a disqualification for a racing foul in the 145-year history
00:37 of the Derby until last year.
00:39 It took 22 minutes for them to arrive at the decision to disqualify Maximum Security and
00:45 to put Country House on top.
00:47 It was very unpopular at the time.
00:50 I think though history has been kind to that decision.
00:52 It was a courageous decision by the racing stewards and Maximum Security's trainer, Jason
00:58 Service has been involved in federal investigation and been charged with federal crimes for doping
01:04 and medicating horses including Maximum Security since then.
01:08 I think people today feel a lot better about Country House's victory than they did a year
01:12 ago.
01:13 The co-owner of the horse has developed an affinity for mud since that race?
01:18 Yes.
01:20 Larry Roth, one of the owners of the horse.
01:24 It was an incredibly sloppy day at Churchill Downs and they went out and bought Walmart
01:31 rain boots before the race the night before when they saw the forecast.
01:35 He wore them.
01:36 They were covered with mud.
01:37 He vowed he was never going to wash them.
01:39 Took them home to his house in Long Island, New York and then his housekeeper washed them
01:44 for him.
01:45 So that mud is now gone pretty much the way Country House's career is now gone.
01:49 Pat, appreciate your time as always.
01:52 Thank you.
01:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]