I don't know much about horse racing, but if they change the qualification rules for the Preakness and the Belmont it seems to me it would diminish the achievements of previous triple crown winners. This (rule changes) happens all the time in my sport (auto racing) and it makes it virtually impossible to compare drivers from different eras.
It's too bad CC's owner was so bitter. It's always better to be a gracious loser. He burned a lot of good will in a few seconds.