[Whitfield:] All right. Let's take a little moment to talk about horse racing and what wasn't. California Chrome was apparently eating dust as the Belmont Stakes last night. After winning the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, the horse was favored to win the Triple Crown but it wasn't to be. He ended up tied for fourth. CNN's Richard Roth joining me now from New York. So, Richard, Chrome's co-owner is not taking the loss well. Was he a sore loser or is he trying to educate people or what happened?
[Richard Roth, Cnn Senior Correspondent:] Yes. Well, he was definitely upset. His trainer thinks it might have been in the heat of the moment but Steve Coburn, the co-owner was angry on many days before the big race. Perhaps it was the pressure getting to him. But as you noted, California Chrome was a loser and many racetrack observers believe his co-owner was a sore loser.
[Whitfield:] Oh!
[Roth:] Steve Coburn, owner of California Chrome, was in a good mood moments before the Belmont Stakes, waving his cowboy hat to the fans. But minutes later, Coburn refused to wave the surrender flag after California Chrome finished fourth, missing out on the elusive Triple Crown. The California factory worker blasted other owners of horses who did not run in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, leaving them restive for the Belmont, to take down California Chrome.
[Steve Coburn, California Chrome Co-owner:] This is a coward's way out, in my opinion. This is a coward's way out.
[Roth:] Critics have called Coburn's comments sour grape. He didn't back down Sunday morning.
[Coburn:] These people, they nominate their horses for the Triple Crown which means three. Triple. Three. And then they hold out two and they come back and run one. That would be like me at 6'2", that would be like me at 6'2", playing basketball with a kid in the wheelchair.
[Roth:] But the Triple Crown has been won only occurred 11 times. And that test of endurance winning three races of different distances in just five weeks is why it's horse racings' greatest achievement. Coburn's 77-year-old trainer was more generous in defeat.
[Art Sherman, California Chrome Trainer:] The horses are not cowards and the people aren't cowards. You know what I mean. I think it was a lot of text myself. But, hey, he was at the heat of the moment, you know what I mean? And don't forget, he's a fairly new owner, you know what I mean? Sometimes, your emotions get in front of you.
[Roth:] Coburn went to the barn to check on California Chrome who has an ailing hoof. The owner still sounded in pain.
[Coburn:] If there's ever a chance that we have another horse that has earned his way to the Kentucky Derby, we will run in Kentucky and then the hell with the rest of them.
[Roth:] California Chrome is off to California. His owner will follow but not singing "New York, New York" on takeoff. Coburn, the co-owner, well, his feelings are bruised and so was his horse, definitely with a bleeding hoof there after the race. But no excuses were given blaming that to the performance of California Chrome. Third biggest attendance at the Belmont Stakes ever, just over 100,000 people in attendance, Fredricka.
[Whitfield:] Exciting stuff. All right. You among them. Richard Roth, thank you so much. Let's talk more about this morning. Do the rules at Belmont sabotaged California Chrome's chances? Let's bring in Hank Goldberg. He's an ESPN commentator. We spoke yesterday. And he was trackside also for the race. OK. So, Hank, help us understand the comments from where those comments came. It's not customary that all 11 horses that would be in the Belmont Stakes were all in the previous races, right?
[Hank Goldberg, Espn Commentator:] Absolutely not. It's just another race and another opportunity for horses and this has happened before. It's interesting, we've been talking about the race now for a few minutes and we haven't mentioned the winner, Tonalist, who did a spectacular job. He's a well-bred horse, better bred, I must say, than California Chrome and I think he's going to go on to do great things. I am guilty of not picking him myself because I thought he was too lightly raced for this experience but and had he a terrific jockey in Joel Rosario and, by the way, it was a heck of a race. But getting back to your question, the name of this outfit is DAP. I don't know if I can say what it means here, but it has a donkey for a logo and certainly Mr. Coburn lived up to what that represents in his comments.
[Whitfield:] Oh, boy! OK. So, now, you know, I guess these comments just stay with the moment because it's not enough to change, you know, landscape of racing. I mean, it will always be the case that if you want your horse to run in the Preakness or the Belmont or the Kentucky Derby, and the horse qualifies, it's likely to be in that race and it doesn't necessarily have to be with the achievement or goal of a Triple Crown, because that's really what he's saying, that you're either for the Triple Crown or you, you know, really have no place in any one of the three races.
[Goldberg:] Well, Nick Zito, who has been down this lane before himself had an interesting comment this morning. There used to be a Triple Crown bonus for a horse who would run all three legs and, for that matter, he was saying that perhaps they could put in a system where a horse wins two of the three legs gets a bonus. They could do that. But why change this? It's a difficult task to win all three.
[Fredricka Whitfield, Cnn Anchor:] Yes. It's why it's so phenomenal. Maybe that's why it's been 36 years, right? It's not easy.
[Goldberg:] That's right. Absolutely. And why embarrass the horse and a classy man like Mr. Sherman who, you know, did a great training job? The horse was injured early in the race. Had he a little chunk taken out of his leg when he was kicked and he still almost won. He ran his usual race except for the fact that he was five wide on the turn and had a little more ground to make up than usual and still he pulled even with the leaders with an eighth of a mile to go and it looked to me like he was a little bit tired. That takes a lot out of you.
[Whitfield:] And that's the longest race of the three.
[Goldberg:] Exactly.
[Whitfield:] Hank Goldberg, thanks so much. Appreciate it.
[Goldberg:] Thank you, Fredricka. Nice to see you, too.
[Whitfield:] All right, well, Hollywood hopes and prays for Tracy Morgan's speedy recovery. A criminal investigation is now under way for a crash that left him critically hurt. Who investigators have charged. Next.