I kind of agree with Chrome’s owner, Coburn. He says that only horses that are entered in the Kentucky Derby should be allowed to run in the Preakness and Belmont.
California Chrome was bested by a horse (Tonalist) that had not run in the other two previous races. Tonalist was fresh for the longest race of the three.
That is not a decent argument.
These are three distinct races. No one has to enter all three. Winning all three is difficult, like winning a grand slam. It takes different abilities and skills and some chance (weather, competition) to win any one race, let alone these three. Whining about your opponents is poor sportsmanship. The dude believed the media.
A horse worthy of the TC defeats all comers.
The three races are independent of each other, each with their own criteria.
He wasn’t fresh. He’s finished first in the Peter Pan which is the week before the Preakness at Belmont. Coburn is just a whiner and an idiot.