Top offshore sportsbooks online favor Charlatan and Tiz the Law to win the 2020 Belmont Stakes. The 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes will be held behind closed doors on June 20, 2020. The race was delayed from June 6 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. NYRA considered several dates after evaluating the spring-summer meeting at Belmont Park. And after the other three majors set their dates; the Kentucky Derby on September 5, the Preakness Stakes on October 3, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic on November 7. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on May 16 that horse racing tracks statewide would be allowed without in-person fans on June 1. The 2020 race will mark the first time in history that the Belmont Stakes will be the opening leg of the Triple Crown. Accordingly, its running length shortened to 1.125 miles.
It is not a given that all the top Kentucky Derby contenders will compete in the Belmont. As it turns out, the Santa Anita Derby, a Kentucky Derby prep, is slated for June 6. What’s for sure is that many top three-year-olds will be there with bells on.
Odds to Win 2020 Belmont Stakes
| Horse | Odds |
|---|---|
| Charlatan | +200 |
| Tiz The Law | +200 |
| Nadal | +325 |
| Dr Post | +1600 |
| Honor A.P | +1800 |
| Sole Volante | +1800 |
| Wells Bayou | +2200 |
| Basin | +2500 |
| Farmington Road | +2500 |
| Gouverneur Morris | +2500 |
| Max Player | +2500 |
| Modernist | +3300 |
Charlatan
The best online sportsbooks know better than to sell Bob Baffert short. Charlatan has disappointed so far, but he hasn’t overwhelmed either. Let’s take, for instance, the 2020 Arkansas Derby. Which was moved to May as a result of the pandemic, since the Kentucky Derby had been moved to September. And which ran two divisions for the first time since 1960. Charlatan was heavily favored by top sportsbooks online in the first leg, and indeed he won it. However, he ran in the considerably weaker of the two divisions, and that’s on par with his level of competition, which has left quite a bit to be desired. Then again, Baffert has not won five Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, three Belmont Stakes, and three Kentucky Oaks because he is lucky. He knows what he’s doing.
Tiz the Law
Tizzie’s trainer Barclay Tagg announced his horse would be in the Belmont even a day or two before the date was officially known. TtL has been the winner in four out of five races, including a flawless Florida Derby. Tiz is two for two this year, having won both key preps in Florida. The Belmont Stakes will be a homecoming for the New York based colt. Tagg won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness with Funny Cide.
Nadal
Nadal and Authentic are the only horses top sportsbooks online could see challenging Charlie and Tizzie. That said, Authentic, as well as upset artist Honor A.P, are planning to compete in the Santa Anita Derby. Well, insofar as a big, four-legged mammal can be said to make plans. Therefore, Authentic is not expected to be running in the Belmont. That leaves Nadal as a very reasonable top contender at the Belmont Stakes.
As a matter of fact, his win in the second division of the Arkansas Derby was not, in a vacuum, as impressive as Charlatan’s. On the other hand, it did come against much better competition. Furthermore, Nadal is also trained by Baffert and it shows. Nadal is four for four with two wins in Arkansas and two in California. It is a little hard to see why he isn’t priced about the same as Charlatan and Tiz the Law. After all, as far as accomplishments go, they all are pretty much neck to neck.
