California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn apologizes for angry rant

California Chrome owner Steve Coburn was angry after his horse lost the Belmont. (New York Daily News/Getty Images)

California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn apologized on Monday for comments he made after Chrome tied for fourth in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, which saw the horse denied the Triple Crown.

Coburn appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" and apologized for his rant, in which he argued that Triple Crown races should only be open to horses that qualify for and run in the Kentucky Derby.

"Very ashamed of myself, very ashamed," Coburn said, via USA Today.

"I need to apologize to a lot of people, including my wife. … First of all, I need to apologize to the winner. They run a beautiful race. Their horse won the race. They deserve that. I did not mean to take anything away from them."

Tonalist won the 146th Belmont Stakes in a time of 2:28.52., beating Chrome, who was a 4-5 favorite heading into the race.

Following Sunday's race, Coburn said the Triple Crown format was like winning a triathlon by doing just the running. He also said that it was like him, at 6-feet-2, playing basketball against a "kid in a wheelchair."

“This is not fair to these horses that have been in this thing running their guts out for these people and for the people that believe in them, to have some somebody come out like this — this is the coward's way out, in my opinion, this is the coward's way out," Coburn said after Chrome lost the Belmont.

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