The 152nd Belmont Stakes will commence this Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York with post time scheduled for 4:42 PM Central.

This year’s “Test of Champions” will only be 1 1/8 miles as opposed to the usual distance of 1 1/2 miles. COVID has something to do with the shortened distance, less exposure for the jockeys around each other I would assume. NBC will telecast. There will be no fans in the stands, but that’s OK, it’ll still be exciting. I watched much of the Charles Schwab Challenge last weekend with no fans and it was still a thrilling tournament. Can get used to that if that’s what’s required to have sports.

Last year, at 1 1/2 miles, Sir Winston was the winner with Joel Rosario aboard and Mark E. Casse as its trainer.

This year’s 146th Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday, September 5th, and the 145th Preakness Stakes will be run on Saturday, October 3rd. In case college football is delayed or worse, these fall events, including the 2 Triple Crown races, along with the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup and the Masters, will be treasures. The U.S, Open tennis tournament, as usual, will be played in late August till the 2nd week of September and the French Open will be a week later, September 20th. So if football, unfortunately, doesn’t work out there are still some terrific sports transpiring in the fall. Hopefully, college football will be a part of that. I’ll have my college football piece on Monday or Tuesday. Sorry for the delay.

Here are the competitors at the 152nd Belmont Stakes by post positions and odds.

1. Tap It To Win, 6-1- Trainer, Mark Casse, Jockey, John Velazquez.

2. Sole Volante, 9-2, Trainer Paul Biancone, Jockey, Florent Geroux

3. Max Player, 15-1, Trainer Linda Rice, Jockey Dylan Davis

4. Modernist, 15-1, Trainer, Bill Mott, Jockey, Junior Alvarado

5. Farmington Road, 15-1 Trainer, Todd Pletcher, Jockey Javier Castellano

6. Fore Left, can be my driver sometimes. 30-1, Trainer, Doug O’Neill, Jockey, Jose Ortiz

7. Jungle Runner, 50-1, Trainer, Steve Asmussen, Jockey, Reylu Guitierrez

8. Tiz the Law, 6-5, Trainer, Barclay Tagg, Jockey, Manny Franco

9. Dr. Post, 5-1, Trainer, Todd Pletcher, Jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr.

10. Pneumatic, 8-1, Trainer, Steve Asmussen, Jockey, Ricardo Santana

    Tiz the Law is the most acclaimed horse in the field with 4 victories in 5 races including the Florida Derby in March. Sole Volante is liked by many oddsmakers and Dr. Post is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won 3 Belmonts with his last coming in 2017 with Tapwrit.

    Winner

    My pick is similar to the pick i made in the 2017 Belmont. I was playing golf with Walter, Brownie, and Little Omaha and Brownie was on fire from 4 to 5 feet for par and birdie. Walter starting to call him :”Tapwrit” which was the horse that White’s World picked to win that day at Belmont Park. Consequently, Brownie was a winner and so was Tapwrit.

    That was my last victory in a Triple Crown race, 2018 and 2019 were 0 fers, unfortunately, but like a hitter that’s in an 0 for 6 slump, a blooper to right for a base hit can snap you out of it. I won 6 consecutive Derbys in a row from 2012 to 2017. So like a good hitter in a slump, I think I can get out of it.

    I’ll take my blooper to right with 2019 Preakness and Belmont winning trainer Mark Casse and 4 time Triple Crown winner John R. Velazquez (2011, 2017 Kentucky Derby, 2007, 2012 Belmont) on the mount. The No.1 post position is the most successful at Belmont with the most winners coming out of that post. Give me,

    Tap It To Win

    Place: Dr. Post

    Show: Tiz the Law