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California Chrome Owner Steve Coburn Calls Some Trainers/Owners Cowards For Sitting Out TC Races

NEW YORK (CBSLA.com) - California Chrome co-owner Steve Cobur said, after his horse failed to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes, that horses who don't have any points for the Derby, shouldn't run at all.

He called the trainers who sat their horses out of some races of the Triple Crown, 'cowards'.

"It's all or nothing. This is not fair to these horses and to the people that believe in them. This is the coward's way out," said the Coburn.

Tonalist, who didn't run in either the Derby or the Preakness, defeated California Chrome to shut the door on a chance to win the Triple Crown.

2014 Belmont Stakes

"I'm 61 years old and Ill never see, in my lifetime, a Triple Crown winner because the way they do this," said Coburn. "It's not fair to theses horse that had been in the game since day 1. If you don't get enough of points to run the Kentucky Derby, you cant run in the other two races."

California Chrome, who's ran three times in 36 days, had two weeks of rest from Derby to Preakness and three weeks from Preakness to Belmont. As for Tonalist, the colt had plenty of rest, running his last race on May 10 in the Peter Pan Stakes -- 27 days of rest.

Coburn wants the 20 horses who ran in the Derby, be the only horses eligible to run in any Triple Crown races.

After the race, NBC's Bob Costas asked Tonalist owner Robert Evans his thoughts on Coburn's comments. He replies, "I have no comment."

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