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Triple Crown News Minute Presented By Kentucky Equine Research: Kicking Off The Upside Down Triple Crown

The most unusual Triple Crown in American racing history begins on Saturday, with the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes from Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Normally run at a mile and a half in early June after the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, this year's Belmont will be contested around one turn at the abbreviated distance of nine furlongs in front of an empty grandstand because of the restrictions necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tiz the Law, a New York-bred colt by Constitution, is the 6-5 morning line favorite for Sackatoga Stable and Barclay Tagg, the same owner-trainer combination that won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness with another New York-bred, Funny Cide. Empire Maker upstaged Funny Cide's quest for a Triple Crown, winning the Belmont on a day when more than 100,000 braved the cold and rainy weather.

Clear skies are forecast for Saturday.

While Tiz the Law is the clear favorite, based off Grade 1 victories in the 2019 Champagne at Belmont and the 2020 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, there are some late bloomers who could offer a serious challenge, including Tap It to Win for trainer Mark Casse. In 2019, Casse took the final two legs of the Triple Crown with War of Will in the Preakness and Sir Winston in the Belmont.

In this edition of the Triple Crown News Minute, Ray Paulick and news editor Chelsea Hackbarth go through the field of 10 3-year-olds, assessing their chances and making their selections for this first American classic of 2020.

Watch today's Triple Crown News Minute below:

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Tiz The Law Draws Post Eight, Installed As 6-5 Morning Line Favorite For Belmont Stakes

Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law drew post eight of ten for Saturday's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the first race of the 2020 Triple Crown season due to rescheduling caused by the global coronavirus pandemic. To be held over a shortened distance of nine furlongs, the Belmont will be run without spectators or owners in attendance.

Trained by Barclay Tagg and ridden by Manny Franco, Tiz the Law was installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Belmont. The Sackatoga Stable-owned colt will be vying to take his connections on another whirlwind trip through the Triple Crown series, echoing their ride with Funny Cide in 2003.

Second choice at odds of 9-2 is Sole Volante, recent allowance winner at Gulfstream Park who will be running off just 10 days rest on Saturday. Trained by Patrick Biancone, the late-running son of Karakontie won the G3 Sam Davis at Tampa earlier this year, and will leave from post position two under jockey Luca Panici.

Unbridled Stakes winner Dr Post comes in as the 5-1 third choice for trainer Todd Pletcher, and will leave the gate from stall nine. Champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will partner the Quality Road colt.

Tap It To Win drew the inside post and will be fourth choice at 6-1 on the morning line. Trained by Mark Casse, the recent allowance winner will get the services of jockey John Velazquez as he takes a major step up in class.

The entire field for the 2020 Belmont Stakes is as follows:

Tap It To Win (Velazquez, Casse) 6-1
Sole Volante (Panici, Biancone) 9-2
Max Player (Rosario, Rice) 15-1
Modernist (Alvarado, Mott) 15-1
Farmington Road (Castellano, Pletcher) 15-1
Fore Left (J. Ortiz, O'Neill) 30-1
Jungle Runner (Gutierrez, Asmussen) 50-1
Tiz the Law (Franco, Tagg) 9-5
Dr Post (I. Ortiz, Pletcher) 5-1
Pneumatic (Santana, Asmussen) 8-1

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‘Cherry On Top Of The Sundae’; Winchell’s Pneumatic A ‘Go’ For Belmont

Solid training in addition to changes made to the list of probable entrants for the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes has given the connections of graded stakes-placed Pneumatic enough confidence to send the sophomore son of Uncle Mo to the Empire State for the American Classic run June 20 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who saddled Creator to a 16-1 upset victory in the 2016 Belmont Stakes, Pneumatic was recently third in the Grade 3 Matt Winn at Churchill Downs, where he was forwardly placed along the rail, battled down the stretch with Ny Traffic but was passed up by Maxfield, who won under a hand ride.

Pneumatic last appeared on the work tab on Monday, June 8, where he drilled through five furlongs in 59.80 over the Churchill Downs main track.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' racing and bloodstock manager David Fiske said Pneumatic had also been under consideration for the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, slated for June 27,

“A couple of things went into the decision. In addition to the fact that he's been training really well and worked well last week, the changes that have been made in terms of defections and horses going to other races also are reasons why we're going,” said Fiske. “It was either this or Ohio and the Belmont is an American classic. To have some Grade 1 black type in a Triple Crown race would be highly beneficial.”

A Kentucky homebred, Pneumatic is out of the stakes-placed Tapit broodmare Teardrop and comes from the same family as multiple-graded stakes winning millionaire Pyro and is a direct descendant of Carol's Christmas, who has been a foundation mare for Winchell's racing operations having produced Grade 1-winners Olympio and Cuvee as well as graded stakes-winner Call Now.

“It would be the cherry on top of the sundae,” Fiske said of a Belmont victory with the Winchell homebred. “He's a direct descendant of Carol's Christmas who might be the best $25,000 claim ever made.”

Pneumatic will be Winchell's second starter in the Belmont Stakes. In 2018, Tenfold represented Winchell when running fifth to Triple Crown-winner Justify.

Prior to his graded stakes debut in the Matt Winn, the lightly-raced Pneumatic broke his maiden at first asking over the Oaklawn Park main track defeating next-out winners Skol Factor and Liam's Pride en route to a victory against winners over the Hot Springs oval defeating stakes-winner Captain Bombastic by 2 ½ lengths.

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will have the mount aboard Pneumatic for the Belmont Stakes.

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