A feeling of disappointment likely rushes over trainer Barclay Tagg whenever the Belmont Stakes is mentioned. Tagg had two-thirds of the Triple Crown in his pocket in 2003 before Funny Cide tired and finished third on a sloppy Belmont Park track. Tagg may have his best chance since then to win the Triple Crown with Tiz the Law, who will begin the quest on Saturday in the 2020 Belmont Stakes. Post time at Belmont Park is set for 5:42 p.m. ET, when a group of ten 2020 Belmont Stakes contenders will rush from the starting gate.
Tiz the Law, who has won four of his first five career starts, is the 6-5 favorite in the latest 2020 Belmont Stakes odds and will break from the No. 8 spot. The latest 2020 Belmont Stakes weather won't be an issue, with temperatures in the low 80s and partly cloudy skies. Before making any horse racing picks, you'll want to see the latest 2020 Belmont Stakes predictions from SportsLine's Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2020 Belmont Stakes on a major heater on his horse racing picks. He has the picked the winner in five straight races: the Saudi Cup, Gotham Stakes, Rebel Stakes, Louisiana Derby and Florida Derby.
This is the same handicapper who hit the Oaks-Derby double at Churchill Downs nine times in the last 11 years. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby all but twice in his last 11 tries.
And when it comes to the Belmont, Demling has delivered plenty of memorable paydays. In 2017, he said 5-1 sleeper Tapwrit would beat the heavily-favored Irish War Cry. Demling was spot-on, winning not just his exacta, but also his trifecta and superfecta, which paid out nearly $4,500 on a $2 bet. In 2018 Demling was all-in on Justify to dominate the Belmont, and Justify went wire-to-wire to become just the 13th Triple Crown winner ever.
Now, Demling has released his picks for the 2020 Belmont Stakes, predicting where every horse will finish. He's sharing all of it at SportsLine.
2020 Belmont Stakes expert predictions
One surprise: Demling is completely fading Max Player, even though he's never finished worse than second in his career and gets to stay at home for the race. In fact, Demling says Max Player doesn't even hit the board.
Max Player earned a win in his last race, taking down the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in February. George Hall's colt ran nine furlongs and posted a time of 1:53.87 on the fast main surface. However, Demling doesn't believe he'll be able to run as well against stronger competition at Belmont Park. "I didn't think the field Max Player beat in the Withers was very strong," Demling told SportsLine.
In addition, Max Player lacks the experience needed to hold off the strongest competition he's faced in his career. The son of Honor Code, Max Player has run just three races in his career, which doesn't bode well for his chances to finish on top of the 2020 Belmont Stakes leaderboard.
Another curveball: Demling is high on Tap It to Win, even though he's an underdog at 6-1 in the latest Belmont odds 2020. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. The three-year old colt out of Live Oak Plantation is one of the hottest horses in the 2020 Belmont Stakes field, winning both of his races this year. He took down an optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park on May 9 and then took first in an allowance race at Belmont Park on June 4.
Those wins were massive improvements from his final two races in 2019, when he finished 10th at the Street Sense Stakes and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. Tap It to Win also drew the coveted No. 1 2020 Belmont Stakes post position. The rail has produced 23 Belmont winners, with no other post position leading to more than 13 victories. That could give an already proven winner an edge, making Tap It to Win one of the horses to target in your 2020 Belmont Stakes bets.
How to make 2020 Belmont Stakes picks
Demling is high on a must-see long shot, calling him a terrific closer who will be "flying in the end." He's only sharing which horse to back, and his entire projected 2020 Belmont Stakes leaderboard, here.
Which horse wins the Belmont Stakes 2020? And which long shot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2020 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the 2020 Belmont Stakes, and find out.
2020 Belmont Stakes odds
Tiz the Law (6-5)
Sole Volante (9-2)
Dr Post (5-1)
Tap It to Win (6-1)
Pneumatic (8-1)
Max Player (15-1)
Modernist (15-1)
Farmington Road (15-1)
Fore Left (30-1)
Jungle Runner (50-1)