New York’s new hope
Tiz the Law draws No. 8 post as early 6-5 Belmont favorite
While there won’t be school buses of fans hoping to see a New York-bred horse make Belmont Stakes history, there is a busload of Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing expectations heading into Saturday.
Seventeen years ago, Jack Knowlton and the other owners of Funny Cide packed into buses and headed to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, hoping to see the horse capture the home track victory they had dreamed of. It didn’t happen.
Now, however, Tiz the Law looks every bit like the best 3-year-old in the world and could deliver his owners and trainer Barclay Tagg the elusive crown.
It will take something spectacular from a watereddown field to prevent the Triple Crown favorite from becoming the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Belmont in more than 130 years. On Wednesday, Tiz the Law was made the early 6-5 favorite for the Belmont Stakes and drew the No. 8 post in the starting gate. Manny Franco will try to ride the colt to victory.
Tagg had hoped to draw anywhere from the fifth to seventh post positions.
“It could have been worse,” Tagg said from behind a mask, a visual reminder of the coronavirus pandemic that has upended the Triple Crown schedule and pretty much every other sporting event this spring and summer. “He likes this track, so I’m glad to be back on it.”
Instead of its usual spot as the final race in the Triple Crown, the Belmont is kicking off the series. It will be run at 1 1/8 miles — shorter than its usual grueling 1 1/2 miles — without spectators or owners at the Long Island track.
“It’s going to be a far different scene for sure,” trainer Todd Pletcher, who has two entries, said this week. “It’s sad in some ways, but we’re grateful we’re getting an opportunity to run.”
The Kentucky Derby, normally the opening race of the
Triple Crown, will be the middle event this year, rescheduled from its traditional first Saturday in May to Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The Preakness Stakes goes from the second event to the finale, moving from its traditional May running to Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
At Belmont, the starting gate will be positioned in the far corner of the sprawling track with the horses looking at a run down the backside rather than breaking from in front of the grandstand, as is the case when the race is 1 1/2 miles.
Tagg, 82, is trying to
win the race that eluded him in 2003. Funny Cide, owned by Sackatoga Stable just like Tiz the Law, won the Derby and the Preakness to set up a Triple Crown bid in the Belmont that year. The hugely popular Funny Cide finished third, though, beaten by Empire Maker and Ten Most Wanted on a rainy day at Belmont with a six-horse field.
Tiz the Law, purchased by Sackatoga for $110,000, is the only colt in Saturday’s 10-horse field with a Grade 1 victory, and he actually has two such wins: at the Champagne Stakes this past October and at the Florida Derby in March.
“He does everything we ask of him,” Tagg said. “We’re pleased with him.”
Sole Volante is the 9-2 second choice, Dr Post the 5-1 third choice and Tap It to Win the 6-1 fourth choice. Pneumatic at 8-1 is the only other horse listed at single-digit odds; five others are 15-1 or higher.
The Belmont lost three top horses to injury: two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert’s undefeated duo of Charlatan and Nadal, as well as Maxfield.
“There isn’t quite the star power we all expected,” Knowlton said
Besides Dr Post, Pletcher is taking aim with Farmington Road, one of three 15-1 shots in the field.
“Barclay Tagg is a very experienced, skilled horse trainer, and I think once he knew kind of what the schedule was, he’s been focused on this,” Pletcher said. “It looks to me like the horse is training sensationally. He looks great on the race track. I think it’s not been an ideal scenario for anyone, but I think there’s no doubt in my mind that Barclay will have his horse ready to go.”
Linda Rice will try to become the first woman to train a Belmont winner in the race’s 152year history when she saddles 15-1 shot Max Player.
“They just haven’t given women enough time yet,” she said jokingly.
The field, in post position order with jockey and odds: Tap It to Win, John Velazquez, 6-1; Sole Volante, Luca Panici, 9-2; Max Player, Joel Rosario, 15-1; Modernist, Junior Alvarado, 15-1; Farmington Road, Javier Castellano, 15-1; Fore Left, Jose Ortiz, 30-1; Jungle Runner, Reylu Gutierrez, 50-1; Tiz the Law, Franco, 6-5; Dr Post, Irad Ortiz Jr., 5-1; Pneumatic, Ricardo Santana, 8-1.