Belmont Stakes: Tiz the Law wins Triple Crown event before empty stands

ELMONT, N.Y. — Tiz the Law won the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, as the Triple Crown season finally began under extraordinary circumstances.

The race, which is typically the third and final leg of Triple Crown races, led off the series for 3-year-old horses for the first time in history.

Tiz the Law, ridden by Manny Franco and trained by Barclay Tagg, had been the favorite in the race, going off at 4-5 odds, followed by Tap it to Win (5-1) and Dr Post (7-1). Jungle Runner was a 35-1 longshot at post time. Tiz the Law was stamped as a top contender after winning the Florida Derby on March 28. The length of the course at Gulfstream Park was also 1 1/8 miles.

Tiz the Law became the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont Stakes since Forester in 1882.

In a normal year, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes would be held first, but thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 is not normal. The Derby is scheduled to be held Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs in Lexington, Kentucky, while the Preakness will be held Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Belmont Park was without spectators for the race, although there was still a live network broadcast.

Typically the most grueling of the three Triple Crown races because of its 1 1/2-mile track, this year’s Belmont Stakes was shortened to 1 1/8 miles. The race was shortened to “properly account for the schedule adjustments to the Triple Crown series and overall calendar for 3-year-olds in training,” the New York Racing Association said in a statement.

The starting gate was placed in the chute on the backstretch, The New York Times reported.

Along with a shorter distance, there also was a lighter purse. Only $1 million was being awarded to the winner, according to Times.

Cox Media Group