While there won’t be school buses of fans hoping to see a New York-bred horse make Belmont Stakes history, there is a busload of Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing expectations heading into Saturday.
Seventeen years ago, Jack Knowlton and the other owners of Funny Cide packed into buses and headed to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, hoping to see the horse capture the home track victory they had dreamed of. It didn’t happen.
Now, however, Tiz the Law looks every bit like the best 3-year-old in the world and could deliver his owners and trainer Barclay Tagg the elusive crown.
It will take something spectacular from a watered-down field to prevent the Triple Crown favorite from becoming the first horse bred in the Empire State to win the Belmont in more than 130 years. On Wednesday, Tiz the Law was made the early 6-5 favorite for the Belmont Stakes and drew the No. 8 post in the starting gate. Manny Franco will try to ride the colt to victory.
Tagg had hoped to draw anywhere from the fifth to seventh post positions.