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I watched the race at Camden Yards as they switched on the race right before first pitch to my approval because this is a MAJOR sporting event. Regardless if you're a casual horse racing like myself or have minimal interest, everyone with a pulse can agree that they enjoy wagering on horse racing. Personally, I had no money on this race but I had double the excitement to watch the final leg of the Triple Crown due to the history it carries along with it. 12 other horses have tried to win the Belmont to complete the TC since Affirmed and they have all failed. These days, this is one of the longest standing records/accomplishments in sports and has been frequently challenged in the past but rarely duplicated. This attributed to the magical last 6 weeks for a horse named California Chrome. By now, you all know the story about how the horse wasn't highly regarded coming into the Kentucky Derby despite being pegged as a favorite. When it won, America fell in love with the horse - as what happens with most - in addition to the reactions of owner Steve Coburn who gave a heartwarming post-race presser as he described the unbelievable determination of said horse. Of course, weeks later Chrome would win at the Preakness with the same reaction from Coburn and other owners, including trainer Art Sherman. With the win at the Preakness, it set up Saturday's race as another shot to rewrite the history books. The buzz surrounding the event took it to proportions rarely seen in the horseracing community. Hell, the fake twitter account for Cal-Chrome generated over 18,000 followers...although I'm slightly envious of Chrome's social media success...I was hoping that he would be the horse that could finally notch another triple crown for the sport.
Back to the race, just from watching on the scoreboard in Baltimore you could sense a feeling of tension, hope and excitement throughout the crowd as the horses reached the starting gate and the same sentiments echoed throughout Oriole Park. Once the gates opened, floods of cheers filled the TV speakers and the ballpark as one of the most exciting 90 seconds in sports had begun. As the horses navigated around the track, everyone had their eyes on Chrome to see if it had just a little more magic left in those hooves. Alas, as he hit the backstretch, jockey Victor Espinoza surprisingly left his position on the rail to make a break for the outside which proved costly. Tonalist, a horse that didn't race in the first two events (you'll see the significance soon enough) triumphed in the 140th Belmont Stakes and ended the dream for Coburn, Sherman, Chrome and most importantly AMERICA. Once the race was over, everyone went back to their lives as another chance at the racing immortality fell by the wayside.
As the race concluded, NBC caught up with Coburn for one final post-race interview and he unleashed a profanity-filled rant that called out the horse owners that only raced their stallion in the final race in an attempt to knock of Chrome. Although Coburn has a point (somewhat), this is something that has been done for decades and there is simply no way of avoiding it. Coburn's wit and passion for his horse had previously captivated the nation but on Saturday, he looked like an ignorant, sore loser and still, a Wilfred Brimley look-a-like (Diabeetus). Similar to one of those kids that always gets what they want and then receives a reality check when they get to real world. Regardless of Chrome's finish (5th, by the way) it would've been a landmark day in horseracing as they posted ratings that rivaled Game 2 of the NBA finals. Instead, now we'll always remember when the mustache-clad Coburn chose to take the lowest of roads possible and question an institution that's been in place for over a century. Colin Cowherd said it best on his show yesterday by saying that his ridiculous argument was like "a lottery winner trying to teach finance at Harvard." Coburn hasn't been in the sport nearly as long as Chrome's trainer Art Sherman yet he remained positive even after Tonalist won the Belmont. It's understandable that Coburn was upset that he lost the opportunity for glory but he tainted his reputation forever. If that incident wasn't bad enough, Coburn remained passive-aggressive the next day, calling out the owners of the other horses once again.
Coburn would eventually apologize Monday morning in a tearful appearance on Good Morning America but the damage has already been done and there's no remorse for this man who had captivated the nation weeks prior.
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