California Chrome owner blasts Tonalist in Triple Crown loss

[Wingnut 6,990]

Since the last horse won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes in the 1970s, about a dozen horses have won the first two races only to come up short in the third.  The owners of those horses took the loss with grace and humility.  Instead, they said they were grateful their horse just had a shot to rewrite racing history. 

 

Steve Coburn, the owner of California Chrome, isn't taking it lying down.  Instead, in a dramatic outburst, he called out the flawed practice of allowing fresh horses to compete in the Belmont after the Triple Crown hopefuls are already tired from running two previous races close together.  Tonalist, the Belmont winner, didn't participate in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness. 

 

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-california-chrome-steve-coburn-outburst-20140607-story.html

 

Unless the rules change, Coburn doesn't expect to see another Triple Crown in his lifetime.  I don't either, to be honest.  The current drought is longer than the one between the '40s and the 's70s and there is no end in sight. 

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

Chrome got fourth though, right?  Were the other two horses that placed above him in the same boat, having not raced in the Derby and the Preakness?  If not, then I don't see why the guy's complaining, he would have lost it anyways.

[Wingnut 6,990]

 

 

Were the other two horses that placed above him in the same boat, having not raced in the Derby and the Preakness?

 

That's a good point.  The racing history of the other two horses wasn't given and I can't look it up without taking the time to do some serious Googling.  I do seem to recall that in other recent Triple Crown opportunities, the horse that won ran in the Kentucky Derby but sat out the Preakness. 

[-Nobody- 519]

I agree with him, I think that the rule is stupid, but he should have conveyed that in a better manner.

[kelseymarie805 301]

Yeah, that was kind of sad, I was really hoping Chrome would win but he didn't sadly.

 

Also, I was SO glad to see that the owner wasn't blaming the jockey or the horse, or both. He was saying that with the way that the races are done it's too hard on the horses and the jockeys which I agree with and like I said, I'm glad he wasn't blaming the jockey and the horse......