Maximum Security would be the class of the field in almost any race he ran. It will be the same case on Saturday night when they conduct the San Diego Handicap, which has been postponed a week due to some positive tests among jockeys at Del Mar.

The 9:30 PM ET race, which covers a mile and a sixteenth, is regarded as a stepping stone for the Pacific Classic, which will be held at Del Mar on August 22. And some of these horses are also hopefuls for the Breeders Cup.

There is no question in the minds of BetAnySports customers that Maximum Security has the most in the way of credentials, with wins in the Florida Derby and Cigar Mile, and of course there was the very controversial disqualification in the Kentucky Derby, in which the horse clearly out-performed all others in the field. Last time out, he won the richest race in the world, The $20 million Saudi Cup. That was back on February 29.

Former trainer Jason Servis was brought up on doping charges, and the speculation among some racing observers was that the ill-filling toward him, because of the suspicion, was a factor in the ruling.

Now Maximum Security, the Eclipse winner as top three-year-old in 2019, is in the care of legendary trainer Bob Baffert, who has him racing in California for the first time.

Despite $11,801,900 in winnings, this is not necessarily expected to be a walk in the park. Two other horses in the field have posted over a million dollars in earnings, and they are both trained by the same man.

Here are the horse racing odds that have been posted at BetAnySports:

1) Higher Power +350
2) Ax Man +800
3) Sharp Samurai +1200
4) Combatant +600
5) Maximum Security +100
6) Midcourt +400

Maximum Security will have a new jockey for this race. Luis Saez is a victim of travel restrictions, having tested positive for COVID-19. In his place, Baffert has chosen Abel Cedillo, who knows the track and won the Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Maria for these owners (Gary and Mary West) a couple of months ago.

Cedillo had originally been ticketed to ride Sharp Samurai, a turf horse, in this race, but the owners gave him permission to make the switch.

Maximum Security is powerful, possesses the ability to wire this field, and has lost only once on merit - last May at Monmouth, in an ungraded stakes that, interestingly enough, was also contested at a mile and a sixteenth.

Is that a bad omen? If you believe so, there's even more to think about.

The trainer who has owned this race in recent years is John Sadler, who will put two entrants into the field. He's got the rail with Higher Power, and will break next to "Max" with Combatant, a capable closer who won the Santa Anita Handicap in March and was also nominated for the Eddie Read Stakes, a Sunday turf race. If there is a strong early pace, he could figure.

Then there is Higher Power, who won the Pacific Classic last year with a time that was faster than anything these others, including Maximum Security, have posted on dirt.

There is danger here for the favorite; Sadler has won the San Diego Handicap three years in a row. One of those wins, in 2017, was with Accelerate, who scored the upset over the great Arrogate, who was priced at 1-20 and of course, happened to be trained by Baffert.

Higher Power did not start the calendar year off well, finishing dead last in the Pegasus World Cup. But most recently there was a second-place finish in the Hollywood Gold Cup. Sadler explains that he was "happy with it," and about the prospect of having to face Maximum Security here, "You've got to run when you're ready, and we're ready right now." Indeed, Higher Power had a bullet work July 11 at six furlongs.

Baffert has not necessarily had the best history with horses making their first start out of his stable, and it is also an ironic twist that aboard Higher Power will be Flavien Prat, the beneficiary of the DQ of Maximum Security in the Kentucky Derby, taking first prize with Country House.

Bad omen? 

So you've got a horse (Maximum Security) who is the most talented in the field, but now has a new trainer, new jockey, a track he's not familiar with, and a long layoff. There's something to overcome in all that, especially against at trainer looking for his fourth straight win in this event.

If you're looking for someone to pull off the upset, you may have yourself a very live possibility.

BetAnySports brings you incredibly exciting racing action with its Plus 10% Racebook, which makes payouts above and beyond what you can get at any brick-and-mortar establishment........ Enjoy the thrills from every track in North America, and don't forget that in the sportsbook you can take advantage of reduced juice and Sports Betting Prime........ Open up an account in a number of ways - use your debit card or credit card, a person-to-person transfer, or the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system, and NEVER incurs a transaction fee!