California Chrome and Victor Espinoza were denied a shot at history after failing to win Saturday's 146th running of the Belmont Stakes in New York, losing to Tonalist, ridden by Joel Rosario, as he attempted to win the sports Triple Crown - first time since 1978.

Tonelist ruined the party for many at Belmont Park, with a record crowd of 102,199 lining to up to watch Espinoza's quest to win thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown -- attempting to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes in the same year -- for the first time in 36 years, only to see him and California Chrome come in fifth place depiste being the 3-5 odds favorite to win the race. Only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown since 1919, with Affirmed having last completed the feat in 1978.

"Turning for home I was just waiting to have the same kick like he always had before, and today he was a little bit flat down the lane," Espinoza said after the race, who for the second time in his career came one race from becoming the first Hispanic jockey to win the a first Triple Crown. "I think it was tough for him. He ran back-to-back races in different tracks, and all those fresh horses."

Tonalist, who had 15-1 odds, finished strong, beating out Commissioner (20-1 odds) and Javier Castellano, who was leading by 1 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole, with Tonalist passing Commissioner on the outside as they approached the wire, eking out the victory on the last strides winning the Belmont Stakes by a head.

"This is the Belmont, so this is great," Rosario said after the race. "This horse, he did very good today. I'm a little upset about California Chrome. If I was going to get beat, I wanted to just get beat by him."

Castellano, who talked with Latin Post in an interview the day prior to the race, echoed a similar sentiment about competitor in a race with where history was on the line for the winner, regardless how the race ended.

"[California Chrome] is a horse that everyone sentimentally wants to see win the Triple Crown but remember this is a very competitive sport. I want to win, I want to be a part of history," said Castellano, who won the Preakness Stakes in 2006, to Latin Post a day prior to the race. "I feel great pride, as a professional, but I also feel a little sadness trying to take that success away from that horse. That's why this sport is very important. It's a very competitive sport and everyone wants to be a part of that success."

California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn was angry after the race, having lost to horses that did not compete in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes, making his feelings known about the unfairness of his horse being denied history by fresher thoroughbreds.

"I look at it this way, if you can't get enough points to get into the Kentuck Derby, you can't run in the other two races," said Coburn to NBC Sports. "It's either all or nothing because this not fair to these horses that have been running their guts out for the these people and for the people who believe in them. This is the cowards' way in my opinion."

The grueling schedule of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont stakes may have finally caught up with California Chrome, with the thoroughbred possibly suffering an injury during his run at history. Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated tweeted that California Chrome may have suffered an injury during the Belmont Stakes with the horse being photographed with blood on his right hoof.

"Trainer Art Sherman just said California Chrome may have injured himself leaving the gate. Kicked rt [right] front leg with rt [right] rear," tweeted Layden on Saturday.

Edgar Prado -- a former Kentucky Derby winner with Barbaro as well as Belmont Stakes winner with Savara in 2002 and Birdstone in 2004, talked with Latin Post on Friday, explaining the pressures that Espinoza and California Chrome faced considering the tough racing schedule for both jockey and thoroughbred.

"Winning the Triple Crown doesn't just happen every year. Every year you have a new basketball champion, you have baseball crown a new champion, every year there is a new champion in these other sports," said Pardo to Latin Post. "With the Triple Crown, we have over 36 years we have not had a champion because it's not easy to compete in three races in six weeks. It's like being a boxer and you climb into the ring against three different opponents but these are all fresh opponents. To win the Triple Crown you have to be a talented horse and he has to be ridden by a good jockey."