Tiz special: NY-bred romps at Belmont
Trainer Barclay Tagg completed a career sweep of the Triple Crown Saturday with the only horse eligible to win the series in 2020.
Tiz the Law became the first horse bred in New York to win the Belmont Stakes since 1882. From the first crop of Constitution, a Florida Derby winner like himself, Tiz the Law scratched the Belmont itch for Tagg and owner Jack Knowlton’s Sackatoga Stable that had vexed the New Yorkers since 2003.
Drawing off in the stretch as in two previous Grade 1 victories, Tiz the Law jogged home first by 3 3/4 lengths in the
152nd Belmont, which for the first time launched the Triple Crown series. All roads now lead to Churchill Downs in Louisville for the 146th Kentucky Derby, moved from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of health concerns over the coronavirus epidemic. Winning the Derby would position Tiz the Law to sweep the series in the
145th Preakness Oct. 3 (formerly set May
16) at Pimlico in Baltimore.
Tiz the Law, a five-time winner from six starts, stalked the pace from post 8 in a 10-horse field going a shortened distance of nine furlongs. With jockey Manny Franco urging the horse with his hands, Tiz the Law quickly assumed command after the long run down the backstretch and turning for home. Franco went to a right-handed whip three times before giving the horse a light tap and showing the stick near the wire.
Coming off fractions of :23.11 and
:46.76 set by predicted early leader Tap It to Win, Tiz the Law stopped the clock in 1:46.53. Secretariat holds the track’s nine-furlong dirt record of 1:45 2-5 and the stakes record of 2:24 for a mile and a half, both set in 1973, his Triple Crown season, with the Belmont Stakes win famously coming by 31 lengths.
“I was pretty confident when we got to the seven-eighths pole,” said Franco after his first victory in an American Triple Crown race. “He was so kind — he relaxed for me. He was so comfortable. He was never keen. I think that was the key to the victory.”
Tiz the Law is the first New York-bred Belmont winner since Forester in 1882. That year also marked the last time an unraced juvenile won the Kentucky Derby before Justify emulated Apollo’s feat in 2018. Justify retired as the first undefeated Triple Crown winner (6 for 6) after taking Belmont 150.
Because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Sackatoga Stable owners watched Tiz the Law’s Belmont from a restaurant in upstate Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Along with Tagg, who has trained at Belmont Park since 1974, Sackatoga broke through in the Test of the Champion after placing third with Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, another New York-bred horse, in 2003.
“I wanted to win the Belmont before I gave it up or died or something like that,” Tagg, 82, said. “This is what I’ve seen this horse do every time he’s won and I was delighted to see it again.”
Knowlton said he and his partners “just buy New York-breds. That’s our game. We don’t spend a lot of money. We’ve been with Barclay Tagg for 25 years and I keep telling people, ‘Barclay doesn’t get a lot of big horses and opportunities, but when he gets them, he knows what to do.’
“Now he’s got his and Sackatoga’s got their Triple Crown,” Knowlton said. “Two different horses, two different years, but not a lot of people can say that.”
Notes: Series leader Tiz the Law earned 150 points (272 overall) for a possible start in the Kentucky Derby. His Belmont victory came 12 weeks after winning the Grade 1 Florida Derby and over the track that he won the Grade 1 Champagne last fall. Dr Post received 60 points, Max Player 30 and Pneumatic 15, currently making all eligible for the Derby. … NBC announcer Larry Collmus noted the scheduling changes of the 2020 Triple Crown as the horses broke from the gate: “The 54-week wait is over.” … Two-time Oaklawn Park winner Pneumatic was followed by a fading Tap It to Win, whose trainer, Mark Casse, won the last two legs of the 2019 Triple Crown with War of Will (Preakness) and Sir Winston (Belmont). Sole Volante, Modernist, Farmington Road, Fore Left and Jungle Runner, the highest-priced runner at 29-1, completed the order of finish. Dr Post and Oaklawn-raced Farmington Road are trained by three-time Belmont Stakes winner Todd Pletcher. Pneumatic and Oaklawn-raced Jungle Runner represent Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the Belmont winner with Arkansas Derby hero Creator in 2016.
Kentucky Derby point standings
272: Tiz the Law (Barclay Tagg)
120: Honor A.P. (John Shirreffs)
100: Authentic (Bob Baffert)
90: King Guillermo (Juan Carlos Avila)
74: Ete Indien (Patrick Biancone)
70: Modernist (Bill Mott)
70: Ny Traffic (Saffie Joseph Jr.)
60: Dr Post (Todd Pletcher)
50: Basin (Steve Asmussen)
50: Mischevious Alex (John Servis)
40: Shivaree (Ralph Nicks)
40: Max Player (Linda Rice)
34: Gouverneur Morris (Todd Pletcher)
33: Enforceable (Mark Casse)
32: Storm the Court (Peter Eurton)
30: Sole Volante (Patrick Biancone)
30: Major Fed (Greg Foley)
25: Thousand Words (Bob Baffert)
25: Finnick the Fierce (Rey Hernandez)
25: Pneumatic (Steve Asmussen)
Note: Top 20 in point standings qualify for the Kentucky Derby.