Favored Tiz the Law Draws Post 8 for the Belmont Stakes

It wasn't a perfect draw, but considering how well everything has unfolded for Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law during the past few months, it was good enough for trainer Barclay Tagg.

"It could have been worse," he said.

As it turned out, eight was the magic number for Tagg and Tiz the Law as the 6-5 morning-line favorite will break toward the outside in a field of 10 3-year-olds lined up for the $1 million Belmont Stakes (G1), which will raise the curtain on the delayed and reconstructed 2020 Triple Crown season June 20 at Belmont Park.

"It will keep him out of trouble," Tagg said June 17 about post 8 in the shortened, one-turn 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes. "So far, so good. We're pleased with the way he's doing. We're ready for the race. They just have to run it."

While top candidates Nadal, Charlatan, and Maxfield fell by the wayside in recent weeks due to injury, it's been smooth sailing for Tiz the Law since March 28, when he coasted to a 4 1/4-length victory in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) to enhance his reputation as one the sport's premier 3-year-olds.

It was his fourth win in five starts and second grade 1 win, joining the top-level success he enjoyed last fall at Belmont Park when he captured the Champagne Stakes (G1) at a one-turn mile.

"He likes this track, and he's done everything we've asked him to," Tagg said. 

There will be some déjà vu and historical ramifications on the line Saturday as Tiz the Law will bring Sackatoga and Tagg back to the Belmont Stakes, the same race that tripped up Funny Cide on a sloppy track in 2003 when he finished third while bidding for a Triple Crown.

The New York-based Sackatoga has not sent out a Belmont Stakes starter since Funny Cide. Tagg's only other starter in "The Test of The Champion" was Tale of Ekati , who was sixth in 2008.

"I'm hoping for a bright sunny day, like we had for Funny Cide in the Kentucky Derby (G1)," Sackatoga managing partner Jack Knowlton said. "My memories of the 2003 Belmont are the rain and Empire Maker getting booed when he came back to the winner's circle. It was crazy."

A son of Constitution  out of the Tiznow  mare Tizfiz bred in the Empire State by Twin Creeks Farm, Tiz the Law will also attempt to become just the fourth New York-bred to capture the Belmont Stakes in its 152 editions and the first since Forester in 1882—the same year Apollo won the Kentucky Derby and started a 136-year streak of Run for the Roses winners who raced at 2 that Justify  snapped in 2018.

Regular rider Manny Franco will once again be aboard the heavy favorite.

Sole Volante, who drew post 2 for trainer Patrick Biancone and jockey Luca Panici, was pegged the 9-2 second choice. The winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) in February will be running in the Belmont off just 10 days' rest since taking an allowance optional claiming race June 10 at Gulfstream Park.

The allowance race was his first start since a second in the March 7 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

He was so fresh, so happy (after the allowance race), we couldn't not go," said Andie Biancone, Patrick Biancone's daughter and assistant trainer who owns a share of the Karakontie  gelding along with Reeves Thoroughbred Racing  "He's the best he's ever been right now, fitness-wise and mentally. When they have 100 days without a race, they get itchy. They are athletes. We went from preparing for the Kentucky Derby to tapering it down because of the virus (and all of the races) moving. So, mentally, he wanted to do more, and once he got that race in him, he was all right. Horses love to run. Mentally and physically, he's perfect. We couldn't be happier."

Trainer Mark Casse wasn't completely happy, but he took it in stride when Live Oak Plantation's Tap It to Win landed post 1.

"I texted Mark after the draw ," said assistant trainer Jamie Begg, who was on hand at the ceremonies, "and when I told him we had the rail, he wrote back, 'Of course.'"

Casse hit the double last year when War of Will broke from the rail in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes (G1). War of Will was elevated to seventh in the Kentucky Derby via disqualification but then won the Preakness, giving Casse his first Triple Crown victory and starting a winning streak that continued when Sir Winston prevailed in the Belmont Stakes.

"Nobody really wants post 1 because you are at the mercy of the break, but with a horse like him, I'd rather have it with him than another one," Begg said.

There's no mystery surrounding how John Velazquez will ride Tap It to Win, given the son of Tapit's previous race.

Though he finished 10th last year in both of his tries in stakes company, the homebred earned a spot in the Belmont Stakes field June 4 with an impressive, frontrunning allowance victory at the track in his second start at 3.

Wasting no time in grabbing the early lead under Velazquez in the 1 1/16-mile test, the ridgling set fast fractions of :22.65 and :45.64 and kept motoring until he crossed the finish line in a fleet 1:39.76, winning by five lengths.

"He ran so fast, there were questions if the time was right," Casse said.

With early speed in short supply among the 10 starters, Casse's game plan is rather simple to figure out.

"There may be speed, and then there's Tap It to Win speed," Casse said. "We will not take any prisoners. We're going to dance with the one that brought us here. We're going to be out there in front."

Despite that quick time, Casse said Tap It to Win has shown no signs of fatigue in his recent training at Belmont Park.

"He's been showing us good energy, which is what you want when they come back quickly. Johnny said he had a lot of energy after the race, and that was not an easy race he won. I know it was a one-other-than allowance race, but there were some horses in there that people were expecting big things out of," Casse said. "I think we have a few things on our side. We know he likes the racetrack, and he's running on a perfect, third race off a layoff setup, which a lot of handicappers love and I like myself. Some people think he ran so big he might bounce. I don't know about that, but it's like Sir Winston last year. I kept telling people, 'Don't leave him out,' and it's because of his fondness for Belmont Park."

Trainer Todd Pletcher will take aim at a fourth Belmont Stakes win with a double-barreled approach, sending out St. Elias Stable's Dr Post (post 9, 5-1) and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Chrysalis Stables, and Robert LaPenta's Farmington Road (post 5, 15-1).

While Dr Post, a son of Quality Road , will be making his graded stakes debut after overcoming traffic problems to win the April 25 Unbridled Stakes at Gulfstream Park in just his third start, Farmington Road competed in stakes in his past three starts, finishing no worse than fourth.

"Dr Post hasn't been in any of the traditional Kentucky Derby preps, so he may be a little under the radar," Pletcher said. "But I think if people see his last two races at Gulfstream Park, they will be impressed. He got a lot of experience in his last race."

Prior to the Unbridled, Dr Post had a 1 1/4-length victory in a March 29 maiden race at Gulfstream Park.

Farmington Road, also a son of Quality Road, would have been better suited by the Belmont Stakes' traditional 1 1/2-mile distance, judged by the way he rallied from far back to finish fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and to wind up second in the Oaklawn Stakes.

"The key for Farmington Road is an honest pace," Pletcher said. "He will benefit from the faster they go early on. It will help his closing kick. He needs a fair racetrack with a good pace to run at."

Dealing with any signs of rust will be one of the challenges facing George Hall's Max Player. The son of Honor Code  who will break from post 3 with Joel Rosario has not raced since winning the Feb. 1 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack, a period covering 140 days through Saturday.

"He has improved dramatically in his training the last 60 days, so I'm excited about running him," said Linda Rice, who trains the 15-1 shot. "I would have preferred posts 5, 6 or 7 or outside more because he hasn't handled kickback that well in the past, but hopefully he's matured a bit and that will not be (a problem) for him."

Rice is also hoping to become the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race.

"It would be great to win a Triple Crown race for any trainer," she said. "They haven't given women enough time yet."

The field expanded to 10 with the addition of Reddam Racing's Fore Left (post 6, 30-1), who was grade 2-placed at 2 for trainer Doug O'Neill and has not raced since winning the UAE Two Thousand Guineas Sponsored by Masdar (G3) Feb. 6 at Meydan Racecourse.

The rest of the field includes Modernist (post 4, 15-1), Jungle Runner (post 7, 50-1), and Pneumatic (post 10, 8-1).

Due to the havoc the COVID-19 pandemic created for racing schedules, Saturday's race will mark the first time the Belmont Stakes will be contested at a distance other than 1 1/2 miles since 1925.

Aside from ushering in the Triple Crown for the first time, the Belmont Stakes could also help to determine the field for the race that used to start the series but will be the middle jewel in 2020. A total of 255 qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be on the line and distributed in a 150-60-30-15 manner to the top four finishers.

There will be network television coverage of the card, starting with Fox Sports 1 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET) and followed by Fox Sports 2 (2-3 p.m. and 6-7 p.m.).

In between, NBC will broadcast the Belmont Stakes to a national audience during its coverage from 2:45-6 p.m.