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Tom Law 
Schedule in advance, show up on time, come prepared and bring a list. That’s how we roll when Todd Pletcher agrees to take time out of his day for a visit to his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track every summer at Saratoga.
Barclay Tagg eased his weight against the front rail of his box – the third he sat in at the near-empty Belmont Park Saturday afternoon – and fixed his eyes to the infield screen while the minutes ticked down to post for the 152nd Belmont Stakes.
The reopening continues across North America and around the world – still without fans on site for the most part – and another loaded day of action on tap.
The third edition of The 2020 Special hit the virtual world late Friday night with a packed 46-page digital edition focusing on Saturday’s 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes, supporting card and other action around the world.
It not often that any barn runs horses in Grade 1 stakes in back-to-back weekends, let alone a barn with just 40 horses. For trainer George Weaver that was just the tip of the iceberg over the last week.
Three tracks on the slate for The Saratoga Special’s handicappers again for this week, 30 more puzzles from Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Santa Anita Park.
Slowly but surely things are starting to reopen and – dare we say it – feel at least a little bit more back to normal. No fans for the races just yet but an especially busy Saturday on tap with graded stakes at Belmont Park and Churchill Downs and stakes from Woodbine, Santa Anita and Golden Gate.
Fifteen years after winning the Kentucky Derby, John Shirreffs seriously joined this year’s trail when Honor A. P. won Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby.
Stakes galore Saturday while the country continues to reopen and – hopefully – starts to put the coronavirus pandemic in the rearview mirror.
