The 2020 Belmont Stakes is right around the corner on June 20, with a field of runners set to go the shortened distance of 1 1/8 miles for $1 million. New York-bred Tiz the Law is set to be the heavy favourite in a field that includes Dr Post, Farmington Road, Fore Left, Jungle Runner, Max Player, Pneumatic, Sole Volante, and Tap It to Win.
Belmont Stakes Longshots
Over the 151 runnings of the Belmont Stakes, favourites have won at a 42% clip. Lately, however, the Belmont is often won by a longshot. In eight of the last 10 runnings, the average winning payout was $21.79.That’s why Tiz the Law might be a bet against, even if he seems like a much the best horse on paper.
Possible to upset him is Tap It to Win. The Mark Casse-trainee races for the Live Oak Plantation. The son of Tapit, who is out of a stakes-winning Medaglia d’Oro mare, has won half of his six starts. He debuted at Woodbine and ran second before breaking his maiden at Saratoga. He finished well beaten in stakes races at both Keeneland and Churchill Downs but has returned to win both his 2020 starts.
Tap It to Win first took a six-furlong allowance sprint at Gulfstream Park in May, then added a 1 1/16-miles allowance at Belmont in June. That was by five lengths under John Velazquez, who will stay aboard for the Belmont Stakes. Trainer Casse won the race last year with surprise Sir Winston and looks to make it two in a row.
Two other longshots with a chance are the Todd Pletcher runners. The trainer, who has won the Belmont three times since 2007, will start two sons of Quality Road: Dr Post and Farmington Road.
St. Elias Stable’s Dr Post has won two of three-lifetime starts. He broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in his second start, then won the $75,000 Unbridled Stakes there over 1 1/16-miles on the main track. Pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. is expected to ride in the Belmont.
The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Chrysalis Stables LLC’s Farmington Road has won only once in six starts but finished second in the Oaklawn Stakes at Oaklawn Park and fourth in both the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and the Grade 2 Risen Star at the Fair Grounds. He worked well with Dr Post the other day in a joint workout on the Belmont main track. Javier Castellano, who has yet to win the Belmont, will ride.
William Hill has very good odds on the Belmont Stakes' longshots.
Belmont Stakes Favorites
Tiz the Law and Max Player are the two horses that have the best chances in the nine-furlong Belmont and will be the ones heavily bet.
New York-bred Grade 1 winner Tiz the Law will be favoured. The son of Constitution took the Champagne Stakes (G1) over this track last fall just one start after breaking his maiden at Saratoga. He became widely hyped and then bypassed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to prepare for the Kentucky Derby.
First, he ran in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) and finished third. In 2020, Tiz the Law is unbeaten in two tries at Gulfstream Park, starting with the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and followed by the Florida Derby (G1). The bay colt is trained by Barclay Tagg for the Sackatoga Stable of Funny Cide fame. That New York-bred came to the 2003 Belmont with a chance to win the Triple Crown but finished third.
Max Player is trained by Linda Rice, who seeks to become the first woman to win the Belmont Stakes. The son of Honor Code has won two of three starts; most recently taking the Grade 3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on February 1. The George Hall runner hasn’t started since, but he won by over three lengths that day over the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Belmont itself. Only he and Tiz the Law have wins at the distance. Max Player broke his maiden by more than four lengths in Pennsylvania in December and will be ridden by Joel Rosario.
Belmont Park Information
Sprawling Belmont Park will not be open to fans or owners for the June 20 card, annually the biggest day on its calendar. The card will include six stakes races worth a total of $2.1 million: the $1 million Belmont Stakes (G1), the $300,000 Acorn Stakes (G1), the $250,000 Jaipur Presented by America’s Best Racing (G1), the $250,000 Woody Stephens Presented by Claiborne Farm (G1), the $150,000 Pennine Ridge (G2), and the $150,000 Wonder Again (G3).
Belmont Park offers traditional wagering on the Belmont Stakes and all of its other races, including win, place, and show wagering. Exotic wagers include exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and the Empre 6, which has a twenty-cent minimum bet and requires the bettor to pick the first-place finisher of the last six races on the day.
If picking horses by jockey, Joel Rosario has won the Belmont twice in the last six years, including last year with Sir Winston. Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz, Jr. won it in back to back years on Creator and Tapwrit, both grays. John Velazquez won it with Rags to Riches in 2007 and Union Rags in 2012.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, who conditions Pneumatic, won the Belmont Stakes in 2016.
After all these tips, it is now time to check out the below top racebooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
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