WASHINGTON (AFP) –Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law was installed Tuesday as a 3-5 oddsmakers favorite for Saturday’s 146th Kentucky Derby after being drawn into the 17th of 18 starting spots.
The 2020 second leg of the US flat racing Triple Crown will be contested without spectators at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, after being delayed from May 2 by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tiz the Law, trained by Barclay Tagg, will start alongside his most fancied rivals, with second choice Honor A.P. at 5-1 starting 16th and third choice Authentic at 8-1 starting on the far outside in the field of 18.
Jack Knowlton, leader of the Sackatoga Stable group owning Tiz the Law, saw the outside spot as better than leaving against the rail and as more helpful for jockey Manny Franco.
”It came down to 1, 2 and 17, so we certainly prefer the 17,” he said. ”Should give Manny options being outside.”
The lineup lost expected contender Art Collector on Tuesday morning when the horse was ruled out of the Derby due to a foot injury.
The Derby’s 1.25-mile distance should not be a worry for Tiz the Law after winning the Travers Stakes over the same length last month.
This year’s Triple Crown schedule, which usually includes the Preakness two weeks after the Derby and the Belmont Stakes three weeks later, has been disrupted by COVID-19.
The Belmont was contested in New York on June 20 with the Derby to be followed by the Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore on October 3.
Other horses in the Derby starting order from inside to the outside include Finnick the Fierce (50-1), Max Player (30-1), Enforceable (30-1), Storm the Court (50-1), Major Fed (50-1), King Guillermo (20-1), Money Moves (30-1), South Bend (50-1), Mr. Big News (50-1), Thousand Words (15-1), Necker Island (50-1), Sole Volante (30-1), Attachment Rate (50-1), Winning Impression (50-1), NY Traffic (20-1).
