California Chrome's Triple try ends in defeat
Source: AP-Excite
By BETH HARRIS
NEW YORK (AP) — California Chrome failed in his bid to win the first Triple Crown in 36 years on Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes to long shot Tonalist and leaving his owner to complain others took "the coward's way out" by skipping the first two legs of the Triple Crown.
Before a crowd of tens of thousands hoping to see history, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner finished in a dead-heat for fourth with Wicked Strong. California Chrome's loss extended the longest drought without a Triple Crown champion.
California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn was bitter about horses skipping the first two legs and then stealing the Belmont. Six of the last eight Belmont winners did just that.
"That's the coward's way out," he said. "It's not fair to these horses that have been in the game since day one. If you don't make enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby, you can't run in the other two races. It's all or nothing."
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140608/belmont_stakes-7f48261181.html
Fans sit and stand on "Triple Chrome" posters before the Belmont Stakes horse race, Saturday, June 7, 2014, in Elmont, N.Y. "Triple Chrome" is a reference to Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown favorite California Chrome. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
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Last edited Sun Jun 8, 2014, 03:24 PM - Edit history (2)
Those spindly long legs just do not do the job for a race horse.
There will never be a horse that moves like the "tremendous machine" Secretariat who won the Belmont by 31 lengths! NEVER!
I found this tidbit on the www ...
>> When Secretariat was autopsied after he passed it was revealed
his heart was 22lbs! Three times the normal thoroughbred cardiac size.
However, his incredible physical stature coupled with that exceptional long stride gave him a formidable advantage. This peculiar hereditary combination along with a few other traits ( i.e. personality, temperament..etc) that only a few equestrian masters would know made Secretariat an extraordinary thoroughbred Champion.
How sad is this anyway? 
My horse I bred and mercilessly trained to make me money didn't make me as much money as I thought.
Poor California Chrome. He was limping it looked like.
The race was too much for him. Anyone that saw him after the Preakness would have known (and you do not need to be a horse racing fan to have noticed) he couldn't go the distance at the Belmont.
A big 
for California Chrome!
He was so lathered up after the Preakness. I knew that the Belmont was too long of a race for him to run. Given the possibility of an injury, I rather doubt you'll be seeing him race again for a very long time if ever. He should be retired ASAP and that is the end of his racing career!!
He couldn't go the distance and as a person who has followed horse racing most of my life, I was rather shocked to see this "nasal strip" on California Chrome. Even the jockey had a strip under his nose I noticed. 
In any event, he couldn't run the distance and he is no Secretariat nor Seattle Slew or Affirmed.
Rather sad at the end and yes, the owner came off as a sore loser. Mr. Nice he was not after that race.
Oh well, that makes no Triple Crown winner since 1978 which is not surprising either given the breeding practices in place these days. 
The greedy owner(s) want more money, more money, money, money, money.
If he runs him again and he breaks down and has to be PUT DOWN I hope these owners rot in hell!!!
