Coburn remains bitter about California Chrome's defeat

ELMONT, N.Y. – 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.

Given a night to sleep it off, Coburn doubled down on the invective on Sunday morning in a televised rant that tastelessly invoked children in wheelchairs.

While being interviewed for more than five minutes by the ABC program “Good Morning America” on Sunday at Belmont Park, Coburn said he believed skipping the first two legs of the Triple Crown and then running in the final leg is not fair.

His analogy was, “It wouldn’t be fair if I played basketball with a child in a wheelchair.”

Coburn’s remarks are based on his belief that only horses who run in the Kentucky Derby should be able to compete in the subsequent Preakness and Belmont. California Chrome won the Derby and Preakness this year and would have become the 12th Triple Crown winner if he could have added the Belmont.

Coburn after the Derby had said he didn’t believe horses should be able to sit out the Derby and then jump in at later stages of the Triple Crown. But not until California Chrome lost on Saturday, finishing in a dead heat for fourth, did he unload in full-throated rage.

On NBC’s telecast of the Belmont, Coburn immediately after the race said, “It’s not fair to these horses that have been in the game since Day One.”

“It’s all or nothing because this is not fair to these horses that have been running their guts out for these people and for the people who believe in them,” he said. “This is the coward’s way out, in my opinion.”

Sunday, Coburn told “Good Morning America” that he “may have gone off half-cocked yesterday, but I don’t care.”

He added that he didn’t care if people called him a sore loser, then gave out his telephone number -- “775-901-3922” -- and said anyone could call him for a debate.

Perry Martin, the other owner of California Chrome, has never said anything of the sort regarding the Triple Crown race eligibility, nor have jockey Victor Espinoza and trainer Art Sherman.

In the belief that Coburn planned to apologize on Sunday, Sherman early Sunday morning tried to temper the growing outcry against Coburn. The Sunday morning edition of the New York Post had Coburn pictured on the cover, under the headline, “Triple Clown.”

Sherman said that in the “heat of the moment” that Coburn “might have gotten a little vocal, might not think about what he’s saying.”

“He’ll make a good apology, I would think,” Sherman said.

Less than an hour later, Coburn went on “Good Morning America.”

Christophe Clement, the trainer of Tonalist, and Robert “Shel” Evans, Tonalist’s owner, both declined to comment on Coburn’s statement.