The field and odds are set for an unusual first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown

It wasn’t quite the post position trainer Barclay Tagg wanted for Tiz the Law. Still, it wasn’t far off for the colt who on Wednesday was made the early 6-5 favorite for the 152nd Belmont Stakes.

Tagg was hoping the Florida Derby winner would land anywhere between spots 5 to 7 in the starting gate for Saturday’s beginning of the reconfigured Triple Crown series. Tiz the Law drew the No. 8 post in the 10-horse field and will be ridden by Manny Franco.

“It could have been worse,” Tagg said from behind a mask worn to protect against the coronavirus pandemic that has upended the Triple Crown and pretty much every other sporting event this spring and summer. “He likes this track, so I’m glad to be back on it.”

The Belmont is historically the final and longest leg of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown but this year is the first and shortest event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Belmont at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., will be run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles instead of its normal 1 1/2, with no spectators in attendance.

The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville and the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes is set for Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Tiz the Law, owned by Sackatoga Stable, won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park last October in his stakes debut as a 2-year-old. After finishing third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs last November, Tiz the Law bounced back to win the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream in February before capturing the Florida Derby.

Since Tiz the Law’s 4 1/4-length victory on March 28 at Gulfstream, several perceived Triple Crown contenders have fallen off the trail due to injury including, most notably, the undefeated Bob Baffert-trained duo of Charlatan and Nadal along with Maxfield and Wells Bayou.

Sole Volante, coming off an impressive come-from-behind win last Wednesday at Gulfstream Park, is the 9-2 second choice for Saturday’s race.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is taking aim with two horses: 5-1 shot Dr Post and Farmington Road, one of three 15-1 shots in the field.

“Tiz the Law has been the best 3-year-old since January basically and he remains that,” retired jockey-turned-NBC Sports analyst Jerry Bailey said Tuesday. “He would’ve been favored in whatever Triple Crown race we ran first first, so we have a superstar that we’re going to see on Saturday.”

Belmont Stakes

When: 5:42 p.m. Saturday

Where: Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

TV: NBC-18

Distance: 1 1/8 miles

Purse: $1 million

Favorite: Tiz the Law (6-5)

Belmont Stakes field

The field for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes in post-position order with odds:

1. Tap It To Win (6-1)

2. Sole Volante (9-2)

3. Max Player (15-1)

4. Modernist (15-1)

5. Farmington Road (15-1)

6. Fore Left (30-1)

7. Jungle Runner (50-1)

8. Tiz the Law (6-5)

9. Dr Post (5-1)

10. Pneumatic (8-1)

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 12:14 PM.