Belmont Stakes

Even back when Tap It to Win (Tapit) lost the GI Clairborne Breeders' Futurity by 43 1/2 lengths and the Street Sense S. by 21 1/4 lengths, Mark Casse was telling owner Charlotte Weber and anyone else who would listen that the horse was special. On Saturday, the trainer could be proven right. After some twists and turns in his 2-year-old year, Tap It to Win has won his only two starts this year and doesn't look to be in over his head in Saturday's GI Belmont S., this year's...

ELMONT, NY -- Led by imposing GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Tiz the Law (Constitution), a field of 10 has been drawn for Saturday's shortened 152nd renewal of the $1-million GI Belmont S. Tiz the Law, also an authoritative winner of last term's GI Champagne S. at Belmont Park, will break from post eight under regular rider Manny Franco in the first leg of the reshuffled Triple Crown going 1 1/8 miles. The 6-5 morning-line favorite is trained by Barclay Tagg for Sackatoga Stable. Tagg and Jack Knowlton's outfit, of...

Reddam Racing's Fore Left (Twirling Candy), winner of the G2 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan in February, has been added to the field for Saturday's GI Belmont S. The colt had been expected to go postward in Saturday's seven-furlong GI Woody Stephens S. "Fore Left has settled in and is training really well over the Belmont surface," said trainer Doug O'Neill, confirming the story first reported by Daily Racing Form's Dave Grenig. "He's coming off a really strong performance in Dubai and we really like the one-turn 1 1/8-miles layout...

Dean and Patti Reeves, fourth with Tax (Arch) in last year's GI Belmont S., will be represented in this year's race by Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}), who took the long route from Florida to New York Tuesday. "He's going by FedEx," Dean Reeves said while the gelding was en route Tuesday. "Whatever kind of package, I guess they can do it. He had to go to Memphis and had a layover there and he should get into New York around 8 p.m. [Co-owner and assistant trainer] Andie [Biancone] is already...

Calumet Farm's homebred Jungle Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) posted a half-mile breeze in :50.50 (12/15) over the Belmont training track Tuesday in preparation for Saturday's GI Belmont S. Winner of the Clever Trevor S. at Remington Park last November, the bay colt is coming off an eighth-place effort in the May 2 GI Arkanas Derby. "It was a nice easy half in :50 and change," said Toby Sheets, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. "He galloped out in a minute. Not a big gallop out, but we're very happy with it....

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed a half-mile Sunday at Belmont Park in his final work ahead of next Saturday's GI Belmont S. Jockey Manny Franco was aboard the bay colt who, working solo from the half-mile pole, breezed through splits of :26.50, :50.42 (41/46) and out in 1:03.12. "He went well. We weren't looking for anything special today," said trainer Barclay Tagg, who ponied Tiz the Law to and from the work. Franco added, "When Barclay turned me loose, he got strong a little bit, but when we...

Last-out GIII Withers S. scorer Max Player (Honor Code) breezed Saturday morning at Belmont, getting six furlongs in 1:12.25 under work rider Oscar Gomez. It was the sophomore's last work before the GI Belmont S., which is scheduled for June 20. Owned by George E. Hall, who won the 2011 Belmont with Ruler On Ice (Roman Ruler), Max Player is trained by Linda Rice, who last had a runner in the Belmont in 2003 with Supervisor (Skip Trial). "He went the first three-eighths in :36.3 and I instructed Oscar to...

Todd Pletcher-trained Quality Road colts Dr Post and Farmington Road worked in company Saturday over the Belmont main track as they eye the GI Belmont S. in one week's time. With Oaklawn S. runner-up and GI Arkansas Derby (Nadal {Blame}'s division) fourth finisher Farmington Road broke off slightly in front of of his Unbridled S.-winning stablemate, and the pair finished together while covering four panels in :48.87 (9/37) before galloping out more or less in tandem (XBTV Video). "I was very pleased with the work," Pletcher said. "I was a...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has released a variety of downloadable content to accompany next Saturday's GI Belmont S. Branded as Your Belmont Stakes, features include contender information, race-day activities and more. This year's Belmont will be contested without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "'Your Belmont Stakes' is a great way to get involved and follow the action on one of the best days of the year in American racing," said Don Scott, Vice President, Marketing at NYRA. "These interactive tools are our way of providing 'the next...

While it seems that some trainers cannot have enough time off between races, Patrick Biancone will go against conventional wisdom Wednesday at Gulfstream. He has entered Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in a $55,000 allowance race he will use as a prep for the GI Belmont S. run just 10 days later. "What, you never heard of Woody Stephens?" Biancone joked. Stephens was never shy about running horses back on short rest and in 1982 won the GI Metropolitan H. with Conquistador Cielo on a Monday and then the Belmont five...

Though coming off an impressive win in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs, Maxfield (Street Sense) will not start in the GI Belmont S., this year the first leg in the Triple Crown. His next start will come instead in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. July 11 at Keeneland. The news that Maxfield was headed to the Blue Grass was first reported by the Daily Racing Form. "It's really a matter of trying to make the proper progressive steps," said Jimmy Bell, the president and racing manager...

Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Charlatan (Speightstown) will be forced to miss the June 20 GI Belmont S.--and likely the rest of the Triple Crown--due to a minor ankle injury, per trainer Bob Baffert. The story was first reported by the Paulick Report. "I feel like I just went a few rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson," Baffert told the TDN just after watching one of his other top sophomores, the previously unbeaten Authentic (Into Mischief), finished second in the GI Santa Anita Derby. "It was tough and I'm sad...