Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Tiz the Law starts from post 8
ELMONT, N.Y. – Tiz the Law will have nine challengers and a potential pace duel ahead of him when he starts as the heavy favorite in Saturday’s $1 million Belmont Stakes.
Tiz the Law drew post 8 and was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite by New York Racing Association linemaker David Aragona in a 10-horse field.
“Probably keeps him out of trouble,” trainer Barclay Tagg said of Tiz the Law’s draw.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Belmont Stakes will be the first leg of the Triple Crown and has been shortened from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/8 miles.
Positioned 11 weeks before the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes will offer its top four finishers qualifying points (150-60-30-15) for the Derby, to be run Sept. 5.
The Belmont field grew to 10 late Tuesday with the addition of Fore Left, a horse who had originally been intended for the seven-furlong Woody Stephens on Saturday’s Belmont Stakes card. But owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill believe their horse is doing well enough to take a swing.
He has not run since winning the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas on Feb. 6 at Meydan. He was pointing to the UAE Derby on March 28 in Dubai until that race was canceled due to the pandemic.
“We really like the one turn, 1 1/8-mile layout and the lack of a lot of speed projected in there,” O’Neill said. “If we’re ever going to take a shot with him, he’s telling us that now is the time.”
Jose Ortiz will ride Fore Left, who drew post 6 and was installed as a 30-1 longshot.
Fore Left’s presence in the field should ensure that Tap It to Win does not get loose on the lead as he did winning a firstlevel allowance race here June 4.
Tap It to Win, supplemented to the Belmont for a $15,000 fee, drew the rail, virtually assuring jockey John Velazquez will have to send the horse away from the gate running.
“Nobody wants the one, but I feel like with his running style, it would affect him less than say another horse,” said Jamie Begg, assistant to Mark Casse, who trains Tap It to Win for Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation.
Tagg didn’t mind learning of Fore Left’s presence in the field, making it likely that there will be a contested pace for Tiz the Law, who will be ridden by Manny Franco, to stalk.
“That’s probably a good thing,” he said.
The connections of Sole Volante, who drew post 2 and is the 9-2 second choice on the morning line, also are happy to see more speed in the race.
“I told my dad I think that’s going to be a huge benefit for him. He can sit and kind of pick where he wants to go, that’s going to be a huge advantage,” said Andie Biancone, part-owner of Sole Volante and assistant to her father, trainer Patrick Biancone.
Sole Volante is coming off an allowance win June 10 at Gulfstream Park. He shipped from South Florida to New York on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he just walked the paddock and was to simply jog Thursday and Friday, according to Andie Biancone.
Modernist, winner of the Grade 2 Risen Star in February, also could show speed from post 4.
Max Player hasn’t run since taking the Grade 3 Withers on Feb. 1 at Aqueduct. He will benefit from a strong pace. Max Player drew post 3, though trainer Linda Rice would have preferred more of an outside draw.
“My horse would be better off a little further out because of the kickback probably, but maybe he’s going to be a little more seasoned these days,” Rice said.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be seeking his fourth Belmont Stakes victory with either Dr Post (post 9) or Farmington Road (post 5).
Trainer Steve Asmussen sends out longshot Jungle Runner (post 7) and Pneumatic, the 8-1 fifth choice who is coming off a third to Maxfield in the Matt Winn. Pneumatic drew post 10.
Since 2000, there have been only 33 races run at Belmont at 1 1/8 miles that drew a field of 10 or more horses. The only horse to have won from post 10 in that time is Purge, who won the 2004 Peter Pan Stakes.
The Belmont will be the last of six stakes to be run on a 12-race card that begins at 11:45 a.m. Post time for the Belmont, which goes as race 10, is 5:42 p.m.
In other stakes:
◗ Mischevious Alex, winner of the Grade 3 Gotham, drew post 3 in a five-horse field for the Grade 1, $250,000 Woody Stephens, which will go as race 2 on the program. He figures to stalk the speedy No Parole. Shoplifted, runner-up in last year’s Grade 1 Hopeful, Meru, and Echo Town complete the field.
◗ Gamine (post 1) and Casual (post 4), both winners of their first two starts, will square off in the Grade 1, $300,000 Acorn Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile that drew a field of seven.
Lucrezia, a two-time stakes winner at Tampa Bay Downs and runner-up to Swiss Skydiver in the Gulfstream Park Oaks, is cutting back to a one-turn mile. She drew post 2.
Perfect Alibi, last year’s Grade 1 Spinaway winner, Pleasant Orb, and Water White complete the field.
◗ The mare Oleksandra will take on seven males in the Grade 1, $250,000 Jaipur Stakes at six furlongs on turf. Oleksandra, trained by Neil Drysdale, is 2 for 2 at Belmont, including an allowance win against males last June. She drew post 2 and will be ridden by Joel Rosario in what will be race 9.
Pure Sensation the 9-year-old gelding who won this race in 2016, Hidden Scroll, White Flag, Texas Wedge, and Lonhtwist complete the field.
The Jaipur is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
◗ Decorated Invader looms a prohibitive favorite in a field of seven in the Grade 2, $150,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes at a mile on turf. The Pennine Ridge goes as race 4.
◗ Graded stakes winners Selflessly and Sweet Melania make their 3-year-old debuts in a field of five entered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Wonder Again for 3-year-old fillies on turf. The race, which also drew Antoinette, Highland Glory, and Speaktomeofsummer, goes as race 6.