I think Coburn is wll aware of how the races are independent. He’s also aware that there are owners that were gunning for him, and hid behind the independence of the races. And then after he blasted out his frustration and anger, he realized that there was no way to get that subtlety across, or prove it happened to him.
I think it did happen, and I can empathize with his being upset. But at the same time, that’s life - the bastards are always up to something, that’s why their called bastards. And as for the masses - win, and they always knew you could do it. Lose, and they hate you simply because that’s what they like to do the most.
He had the class to calm down and apologize, and I respect him for that. I don’t think he’s crazy or misguided. I think he got ganged up on, and that’s part of horseracing. He still did great with California Chrome, no matter what anyone else says.
Too bad he apologized. The corporatist controllers would never let him race one of his horses again, if he didnt’ kowtow.
He didn’t get ganged up on, he didn’t bother to properly prepare his horse. No horse has won the TC without winning at Belmont BEFORE running the Derby. CC had never run at Belmont before, therefore had never won at Belmont before, and didn’t win when it count the most. And nobody was resting horses lying in wait, the 1 & 2 horses for the Stakes also finished 1 & 2 in the Peter Pan which happens at Belmont the week before the Preakness, so they had 1 week more rest, but had run a longer race. The important part is they knew how to win (or come in second) at Belmont, which CC did not.
That’s one of the big reasons for this TC drought. Owners aren’t preparing horses to win the Crown, they’re preparing them to win the Derby and hoping to get the other 2 on momentum or luck. Doesn’t work that way, the TC ends with the longest hardest race of the 3, and by not preparing their horses for that they are guaranteeing they can’t win the Crown.
Coburn isn’t crazy, but he is misguided. He didn’t bother to prep his horse for Belmont, instead prepping him for the Derby, and lost to Belmont ready horses. The only targeting involved was his LACK of targeting his horse to the right race.