Belmont Stakes odds and betting for today’s races. For the first time Belmont Park will be the anchor leg to the Triple Crown. This year the race will be contested at 1 1/8 miles, three furlongs shorter than the traditional Belmont Stakes distance of 1 ½ miles. The day’s high temperature will reach into the lower 80s. First post at Belmont Park is 11:45 p.m. ET and the Belmont Stakes contenders, field will break from the gate at 5: 42 p.m. ET.
Top Belmont Stakes Picks by Experts Handicappers:
Tiz The Law
Constitution—Tizfiz, by Tiznow
Owner: Sackatoga Stable
Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm (NY) Trainer: Barclay Tagg
Jockey: Manuel Franco
Tiz the Law – Photo Courtesy of NYRA
This cleverly named colt from the first crop of Constitution seems a bit like déjà vu all over again. Owners Sackatoga Stables and trainer Barclay Tagg went down the Triple Crown trail with a talented New York-bred before with Funny Cide only to fall short in the Belmont after winning both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Maybe this year they will get their Belmont Stakes victory with the race being the first leg of the Triple Crown at 1 1/8 miles, a distance the colt has already won over. Thanks to Tiz The Law, his dam Tizfiz was awarded the honor of New York Broodmare of the Year, but unfortunately posthumously. She died last year from colic. Sackatoga Stable LLC was founded by Jack Knowlton and Ed Mitzen in July 2006 and it has evolved into a popular New York-based ownership group having campaigned more than 30 horses, including Funny Cide and Tiz The Law. So far, Funny Cide is their only Belmont Stakes starter.
Barclay Tagg has had two Belmont Stakes starters so far: Tale of Ekati was sixth in 2008 and Funny Cide was third in 2013.
“It means a lot (to have another Belmont runner),” Tagg said. You don’t get top contenders all the time. He’s a nice horse. Hopefully he’s as good we think. You work every day seven days a week, you just hope nothing happens and nothing goes wrong. But so far, so good. We’re pleased with the way he’s been doing and we’re ready for the race.”
Jockey Manuel Franco is making his Belmont Stakes debut.
Sole Volante
Karakontie—Light Blow, by Kingmambo
Owner: Andie Biancone and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing
Breeder: Flaxman Holdings (KY) Trainer: Patrick Biancone
Jockey: Luca Panici
This colt is from the first crop of Japanese-bred Karakontie, who won multiple group 1 races in France before finishing up his career with a victory in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Keeneland. Trainer Biancone paid $20,000 for Sole Volante as an Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2-year-old in training 14 months ago and he previously sold for just $5,000 as a Keeneland yearling the previous September. His is currently his sire’s most successful offspring, having earned more than $160,000 more than Karakontie’s second most successful runner. Sole Volante means “flying sun” in Italian.
Sole Volane is Andie Biancone’s first Belmont Stakes starter though Reeves Thoroughbreds sent out Mucho Macho Man (in partnership with Dream Team One) to a seventh-place finish in 2011. Andie Biancone is the trainer’s daughter.
Trainer Patrick Biancone has saddled two previous Belmont Stakes starters: Le Voyageur was third in 1989 and Chekhov was sixth in 2005.
“He’s very talented,” Biancone said. “He’s been very good for us and trains his best all the time. We’ll see how good he is Saturday. No question, Tiz the Law is the horse to beat, but (Sole Volante) totally (deserves) this opportunity.”
Luca Panici will ride his first Belmont Stakes starter.
Tap It To Win
Tapit—Onepointhreekarats, by Medaglia d’Oro
Owner: Live Oak Plantation
Breeder: Live Oak Stud (FL) Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: John Velazquez
Tap It To Win seeks to become his sire’s record fourth winner of this race, which would tie Lexington’s record from the 19th century. Lexington was represented by Belmont winners General Duke (1868), Kingfisher (1870), Harry Bassett (1871) and Duke of Magenta (1878). Stallions to have sired three winners are Australian (Joe Daniels, 1872; Springbok, 1873; and Spendthrift, 1879), Fair Play (Man o’ War, 1920; Mad Play, 1924; and Chance Shot, 1927) and Man o’ War (American Flag, 1925; Crusader, 1926; and Triple Crown winner War Admiral, 1937).
Tapit so far has sired Belmont winners Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016) and Tapwrit (2017). Weber paid $1.3 million for Onepointhreekarats as a yearling at Keeneland in 2009. She was trained throughout her 16-race career by Graham Motion and won three stakes.
Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Plantation has been represented by a single previous Belmont Stakes runner: Brilliant Speed finished third in 2011.
Hall of Fame inductee Mark Casse has started two Belmont Stakes starters. Sir Winston won a year ago while his stablemate Bourbon War finished 10th.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has ridden 23 previous Belmont Stakes runners with two winners: Rags To Riches (2007) and Union Rags (2012). Since his first mount in 1995 he has only not ridden in the race twice (2000 and 2002).
| PP | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tap It To Win | 6-1 | John R. Velazquez | Mark E. Casse |
| 2 | Sole Volante | 9-2 | Luca Panici | Patrick L. Biancone |
| 3 | Max Player | 15-1 | Joel Rosario | Linda Rice |
| 4 | Modernist | 15-1 | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott |
| 5 | Farmington Road | 15-1 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 6 | Fore Left | 30-1 | Jose Ortiz | Doug O’Neill |
| 7 | Jungle Runner | 50-1 | Reylu Gutierrez | Steven M. Asmussen |
| 8 | Tiz The Law | 6-5 | Manny Franco | Barclay Tagg |
| 9 | Dr Post | 5-1 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 10 | Pneumatic | 8-1 | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen |
Miriam Lee has always been a horse racing fan thanks to trips to the tracks in her home state of Maryland with her father as kid. She owns an OTTB and is an advocate for promoting the sport among her peers. Miriam studies communication arts at Hood College and will receive her master’s degree in 2021, which she plans to use for a career in screenwriting. Her all-time favorite racehorse is Man O War.
