California Chrome Owner ‘Ashamed’ Of Rant: Steve Coburn Apologizes For Outburst At Belmont Stakes [Video]

California Chrome owner, Steve Coburn, is “ashamed” of his rant at the Belmont Stakes. The horse he co-owns failed to win the race in order to become the next Triple Crown winner, and he’s taking it pretty hard.

In an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America Monday morning, Coburn, 61, tells Robin Roberts that he’s “ashamed” of the outburst he displayed at Belmont Saturday.

USA Today reports that the fiery owner of California Chrome realizes where he went wrong:

“Very ashamed of myself, very ashamed.

“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.

“So I want to apologize with everybody associated with Tonalist.”

Coburn denies any drinking happened before the Belmont Stakes when asked by Robin Roberts.

The California Chrome owner believes if there’s ever going to be a Triple Crown winner again, rules need to change in the horse racing industry. If horses don’t qualify for — and run — in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, then they shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the Belmont Stakes, he says. Tonalist won the Belmont Stakes as a fresh horse. He didn’t run in the Derby or Preakness.

Carolyn Coburn accepts her husband’s apology. Daily Mail recaps her portion of the GMA interview:

“I hope people can see him the way he is. He is a very compassionate man.”

Mrs. Coburn reassures her husband in the interview, telling him, “I’m proud of you.”

Steve Coburn is criticized as well for comparing himself to playing basketball with a kid in a wheelchair. He defends his comparison by saying it’s an example of “holding back” in competition against someone who’s at a disadvantage. In his rant at Belmont, Chrome’s owner said his horse had run hard the last five weeks while fresh horses at Belmont Stakes were more “rested.”

Coburn apologizes further in the GMA interview by saying that he’s sorry to the horse racing world and to Chrome’s co-owner, Perry Martin and his family. Tears start flowing when he talks about Chrome and the Triple Crown loss:

“This is America’s horse. I wanted so much for this horse to win the Triple Crown.”

It cost just $10,500 in breeding to get California Chrome, only for the colt to rise up and become a multi-million dollar horse. A related Inquisitr article wrote about the Derby and Preakness winner’s worth had he won the Triple Crown.

Is the California Chrome owner genuine when he says he’s “ashamed” of what he said over the weekend?

[Image via Daily Mail]