TIZ THE LAW: CAN HE REALLY LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS?

If you’re relatively new to following horse racing, then it might seem inevitable that Tiz The Law will follow up his win at the Belmont Stakes and his dominant summer with an easy stroll through the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. After all, the favorite won six Kentucky Derbys in a row, starting with Orb in 2013 and ending with Justify in 2018 (who rolled to a Triple Crown).

Last year’s mishap, Maximum Security, crossed the finish line first but had that result overturned after a 22-minute steward’s inquiry. He was found to have swerved into Long Range Toddy and War of Will’s path, and was disqualified. The winner ended up being Country House, who paid 65-1 odds and then never ran another race. He paid on the second-highest odds of any Kentucky Derby winner ever, behind Donerail, who made good on 91-1 odds in 1913. But the path that Tiz The Law faces isn’t guaranteed by any means.

Take a look at our thoughts about his chances…and the Thursday horse racing pool action courtesy of JAZZ Sports.

Horse Racing News: Can Tiz the Law Win the Triple Crown??

This will already be a strange Kentucky Derby for other reasons. It’s taking place four months later than usual, pushed back to Labor Day weekend. The stands, which normally hold 150,000 fans, will be empty.

The long wait between the Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby has given horses chances to enter more races — but also chances to put more miles on their legs, and increase the probability of injury. We know more about these horses than we do about the horses that usually show up at Churchill Downs each May, because they’ve got a bigger race resume, but each race brings the possibility of injury.

There’s also the possibility of a slip, a poor start, even a collision that the stewards do not deem a foul. Those things happen frequently, and they can send favorites to losses. Tiz The Law has not had any of those mishaps thus far, but they happen more often than people expect. This is why so few dominant horses end up winning that elusive Triple Crown.

Tiz The Law does come to Churchill Downs with a big head of steam, of course. After the Belmont Stakes win, he won easily at a couple of prep stakes races in Florida and dominated the field at the Travers Stakes, on August 8 at Saratoga.

So if his fortune holds, Tiz The Law has what it takes to win at Churchill Downs and then again at the Preakness Stakes. However, he still has two races to win.

Pool Action for September 4

Churchill Downs Eight Belles Stakes (Grade II)

For the pool to go, Mundaye Call and Four Graces must both run. Give an edge to your horse-betting with JAZZ Horse Racing’s top pundit advice, written by a capable team of racing experts.