Here’s why Maximum Security was DQ’d from Kentucky Derby (VIDEO)

Maximum Security appeared to have a wire-to-wire victory at the 145th Kentucky Derby, but an incident of interference near the race’s final turn led to a historic disqualification at Churchill Downs.

It was a rainy day at Churchill Downs, but it didn’t matter to Maximum Security, which made the field look absolutely silly in an effortless victory. Maximum Security wasn’t slowed at all by the sloppy track, as you can see in a replay of the race below, but he did get spooked by the crowd.

When Maximum Security got spooked, he jumped out of his lane into another one, impacting other horses in the vicinity such as War of Will and Long Range Toddy. That resulted in several horses’ ability to advance in the race being altered, which led to the historic qualification.

Check out this explanation of the DQ from NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico.

So in essence, that moment when Maximum Security went out of his lane put him into the path of War of Will, who then veered into the path of Long Range Toddy, who bumped close to Country House. That combination of things made it easier for Maximum Security to hang on for the win, which led to the stewards’ decision to issue a historic disqualification.

The controversial decision not only made the wrong kind of racing history, it also significantly altered the results of the betting. Country House won the Kentucky Derby at 65-1, one of the longest shots in years, paying out over $300 on a $2 bet.

There have been disqualifications in the Kentucky Derby before, but we have never seen one that saw the winner of the race eliminated like this until today. The change will without a doubt lead to controversy for the rest of the Triple Crown season, where Country House will look to take home horse racing’s most prestigious honor with wins at the Preakness and Belmont.