In these unprecedented, unpredictable times, it is still difficult to wrap you head around the fact that the Belmont Stakes was run as the first leg of the Triple Crown at a distance reduced from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/8 miles, however there was a very worthy winner.
As is the current norm around the racing world, the 152nd Belmont Stakes was run before empty stands but with millions viewing worldwide it was a joy to watch the favourite Tiz the Law (Constitution) claim the race that eluded Funny Cide who carried the same silks to victory in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes for Jack Knowlton’s Sackatoga Stable and trainer Barclay Tagg.
Ridden by Manny Franco, Tiz The Law defeated Dr Post (Quality Road) by three and a quarter lengths with a further one and half lengths back to Max Player (Honor Code) in third.
A $110,000 Saratoga August Yearling, Tiz The Law advances his record to 5 wins and a third from 6 starts with earnings of $1,480,300.
Winning trainer Barclay Tagg saw some upside in running before the empty stands.
"There's no one to boo you," he told The Blood-Horse.
"It looked to me like everything went like clockwork."
Tiz The Law was making his first stat since winning the Gr 1 Florida Derby on March28.
There are just two remaining members in the Sackatoga syndicate that raced Funny Cide, managing partner Jack Knowlton and Lew Titterton.
"It's tremendous (to win the Belmont Stakes with a New York-bred). We buy New York-breds, that's our game, and we don't spend a lot of money. We've been with Barclay Tagg for 25 years, and I keep telling everybody Barclay doesn't get a lot of big horses, big opportunities, but when he does, he knows what to do. We had a great and amazing day. 'Tiz' delivered for us."
A son of Tapit’s Florida Derby and Donn Handicap winning son Constitution, Tiz The Law is the best of three winners out of the Gr II winning Tiznow mare Tizfiz who hails from the family of the former Horse Of The Year Favorite Trick who spent three seasons at stud in Australia.
