not taken part in the Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes took "the coward's way out". He predicted he would not see another Triple Crown winner in his lifetime due to fresh horses coming in at each stage of the contest; including Tonalist, six of the last eight Belmont winners did not compete in the first two legs of the Triple Crown. Two days later, he apologized for the remarks, saying he wanted to tell the owners of Tonalist, "Congratulations, you've got a fantastic horse ... He won the race fair and square. He deserved to win." Other horses and their connections generated assorted pre- and post-race drama. Dale Romans, trainer of third-place finisher Medal Count, expressed concern that General a Rod, who finished seventh, was late to the test barn prior to the race, and that trainer Michael Maker had given the horse an unfair advantage by doing so. Romans thought the late arrival should have been penalized by the horse being scratched. However, New York Racing Association officials found that General a Rod completed all pre-race testing and had no unfair advantage. Further, spotty cell phone service and other communication glitches contributed to the confusion. Ride On Curlin, who was one of the other horses to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown, was eased in the stretch because he began bleeding from his lungs; he did not finish the race. Trainer Billy Gowan later said the severity was a "three out of 10", and that the horse recovered from the race eating well and with sound legs, but that he would give the horse a rest for at least 30 to 45 days. Attendance, entertainment, and betting handle Attendance of 102,199 was the third highest in Belmont Stakes history, topped only by 2002 and 2004. The 2014 race day featured a total of 10 stakes races and set a record for the New York Racing Association (NYRA) for amount of money bet, with an on-track handle of $19,105,877 and all-sources handle of $150,249,399. The previous record for Belmont Park was set at the Breeders' Cup when it was held there on October 29, 2005 with on-track wagering of $14,742,520 and $124,009,593 for all sources. The previous record for Belmont Stakes day was set in 2004 with 14,461,402 on track and $110,994,390 from all sources. Entertainers for the day included Frank Sinatra, Jr., singing "New York, New York"