Belmont Stakes Odds 2020: Latest Vegas Betting Lines for Elmont Field

The Belmont Stakes is kicking off the Triple Crown season for horse racing this year. It is also being run at a shorter distance than usual and has already seen multiple top contenders drop out.

Welcome to sports in 2020.

The annual race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, was rescheduled for Saturday because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It typically follows the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, but they were rescheduled for Sept. 5 and Oct. 3, respectively.

What's more, there won't be any fans present and the race will be run over a distance of 1⅛ miles instead of the traditional 1½ miles that tests the endurance of the horses at the end of a grueling Triple Crown season. Chris Bengel of CBS Sports noted the race will be shorter this year because of training purposes.

Here is a look at the odds for the unique version of the Belmont Stakes, per CBS Sports, as of Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET:

Tiz the Law (3-2)

Dr Post (9-1)

Tap It to Win (12-1)

Sole Volante (14-1)

Max Player (18-1)

Modernist (20-1)

Farmington Road (22-1)

Basin (25-1)

Perhaps the biggest story heading into the race is the adversity trainer Bob Baffert faced with two of his top horses.

In May, undefeated Nadal was retired due to a left front lateral condyle fracture. Nadal had four wins in four tries as a three-year-old, taking home titles at the Rebel Stakes, the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita and one of the divisions of the Arkansas Derby.

His injury robbed fans of a potential showdown with Tiz The Law, but Baffert also pulled Charlatan out of Belmont and Derby contention. Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun noted Charlatan, who is also undefeated, suffered an ankle injury and is awaiting the results of a split-sample test following reports he tested positive for the banned medication lidocaine.

That means Tiz The Law is not facing nearly as daunting of a field as once thought.

While Dr Post poses a threat, especially since Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has won three Belmont Stakes, Tiz The Law has notched victories at the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, the Holy Bull Stakes and the Florida Derby.

He also will not have to worry about going any longer than he has in the past thanks to the shorter racing distance this year and is trained by Barclay Tagg, who helped lead Funny Cide to wins in the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

With an experienced trainer, impressive resume and less challenging field, look for Tiz The Law to kick off the Triple Crown season with a win.