Tiz the Law much the best in Belmont Stakes

A Triple Crown season like no other in the history of the sport began with a New York-bred, Tiz the Law, drawing off to a popular and totally dominant 3 3/4-length victory over Dr Post in the 1 1/8-mile Belmont Stakes in front of an eerily deserted grandstand Saturday at Belmont Park. Max Player finished another 1 1/2 lengths farther back in third. Tiz the Law is trained by Barclay Tagg, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness with Funny Cide in 2003 only to lose his bid for a Triple Crown when finishing third in the Belmont.

Like Funny Cide, Tiz the Law is owned by the Sackatoga Stable.

Tiz the Law got a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, matching his career best, earned in the Holy Bull.

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Tiz the Law, who became the first New York-bred to win the Belmont Stakes since 1882, benefited from a perfect trip under jockey Manny Franco. The 4-5 favorite stalked the early pace of Tap It to Win while racing three wide, readily took command when set down into the stretch, quickly opened a comfortable advantage and was never seriously threatened thereafter. Dr Post raced well wide while rallying into the stretch, continuing willingly down the center of the course to prove second best while never menacing the winner.

The Belmont Stakes was the fifth win in six career starts for Tiz the Law, a son of Constitution, whose lone setback came over a sloppy track in his 2-year-old finale, the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. He is perfect in three starts at 3, having won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in similalry easy fashion earlier this winter.

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Tiz the Law completed the 2020 Belmont distance of nine furlongs over a fast track in 1:46.53 and paid $3.60.

David Grening will have complete details of the Belmont Stakes shortly at drf.com.