Belmont Stakes 2020: What Video Replay Shows About Tiz the Law's Win

Tiz the Law entered the 2020 Belmont Stakes as a heavy favorite and backed up the billing in comfortable fashion.

Not since 1882 had a New York-bred horse won the prestigious event. The Manny Franco-piloted champion cruised to a 3 ¾-length victory in the 10-horse field.

Ordinarily the final race of the Triple Crown series, the Belmont kicked off 2020's slate because of delays to the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

State regulations kept spectators from the grandstand at the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes. Nevertheless, a dominant horse put on a show. Tiz the Law looked in control throughout the 1 ⅛-mile race.

"It looked to me like everything just went like clockwork," trainer Barclay Tagg said, according to Mike MacAdam of the Daily Gazette. "That's the way the horse likes to run, and that's the position the horse likes to be in. Manny knows the horse very well. I felt pretty solid about halfway down the lane."

The race started as expected, with Tiz the Law charging to the front alongside Tap It to Win and Fore Left. Both of the latter horses are respected for their early speed.

Franco remained patient and kept his horse on the outside of the leading group. Riding in his first Belmont Stakes, the 25-year-old jockey occasionally peered over his right shoulder to check on the competition and unleashed Tiz the Law on the stretch.

And it wasn't even close.

"I knew I had a lot of horse," Franco said of Tiz the Law, per Tim Layden of NBC Sports. "He just did it on his own."

According to Fred Cowgill of WLKY, Tagg confirmed the tentative plan for Tiz the Law includes running in both the Kentucky Derby (Sep. 5) and Preakness Stakes (Oct. 3).

Asterisk or not, the Triple Crown pursuit is on.

Tap It to Win provided the most notable challenge, surging from the rail and holding the lead until entering the stretch. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Tap It To Win faded late and dropped to fifth.

By then, Tiz the Law had created an insurmountable lead. Three horses, though, capitalized on the opportunity and passed Tap It to Win to hit the board.

Dr Post—trained by Todd Pletcher—sprinted across in second, followed by Max Player and Pneumatic.

"You got to take your hat off to the winner," Pletcher said, per David Grening of Daily Racing Form. "I thought Dr Post ran a fantastic race for his fourth lifetime start. Hopefully, it continues to bring him forward. I'm very pleased with his effort."

Sole Volante, Modernist, Farmington Road, Fore Left and Jungle Runner rounded out the order.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.