After coming off publicly as a fortunate, grateful man through the first two legs of the Triple Crown, Steve Coburn, a co-owner of California Chrome, came off as petty and ungrateful immediately following the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, calling the connections of the victorious Tonalist “cowards” for bypassing the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
The New York stewards are conducting an investigation into whether trainer Mike Maker brought General a Rod to the assembly barn in the proper time frame leading up to Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, according to Braulio Baeza, the steward for the New York Racing Association.
The overnight rating for the Belmont Stakes broadcast Saturday on NBC was a 12.9, the second-highest rating of all-time for the race, behind the 15.9 overnight rating posted for the 2004 race, when Smarty Jones was bidding for the Triple Crown, the network said on Sunday.
Trainer Todd Pletcher was about a length away on Saturday from having arguably his greatest day as a trainer. On a day when Palace Malice won the Grade 1, $1.25 million Met Mile, Pletcher finished a combined length away from winning four other graded stakes - including the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, where his 28-1 shot Commissioner was beaten a head by Tonalist.
California Chrome emerged from Saturday’s Belmont Stakes with a minor injury to his right front hoof and will be given a lengthy rest before a scheduled return to racing this fall, trainer Art Sherman said Sunday morning at Belmont Park.
California Chrome may not have brought home a Triple Crown, but he meant record business for Belmont Park on Saturday, with the track easily setting handle records for the race and for its revamped 13-race Belmont Stakes card.
Christophe Clement used to resent when he would be characterized in the media as a turf trainer. But he learned to live with that reputation after taking some advice from his friend and colleague Bill Mott who said “never complain about being labeled as any kind of trainer because it keeps good horses coming your way.”
The Triple Crown elevator still stops on the 11th floor. California Chrome could not end a 36-year drought of Triple Crown winners Saturday, when he finished in a dead heat for fourth in the 146th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park behind the victorious Tonalist, a late-developing colt who did not run in the Kentucky Derby nor the Preakness Stakes.
Tonalist’s Belmont win redirected the pedigree spotlight away from the compelling tale of California Chrome’s modest origins and back to the foundation of American Thoroughbred breeding – central Kentucky – and to that industry’s most successful young stallion.
Victor Espinoza knew early on this wasn’t going to be California Chrome’s day.
