A man from Saratoga Springs has experienced the sweet taste of Belmont Stakes victory. He also knows what it’s like to come up short at a time when it seemed all of New York was rooting for his horse.

Jack Knowlton, of Sackatoga Stable, has owned Funny Cide and Tiz the Law.

“We’ve been blessed to have two really fabulous horses, New York breds, arguably the two most accomplished New York breds in history,” Knowlton said.

Knowlton’s stable rose to prominence in 2003 when a gelding named Funny Cide captivated racing fans, winning the Kentucky Derby and then the Preakness.

It came in third in the Belmont in front of more than 100,000 New Yorkers.

Knowlton’s Funny Cide continued to be a fan favorite long after retirement.

However, Knowlton and his partners and their trainer Barclay Tagg, would get another chance to win the Belmont trophy in 2020 with Tiz the Law.

Because of COVID, he and his partners didn’t get the full experience. His partners couldn’t be there and had to watch it on TV.

“There really were no do-overs, unfortunately. We got the picture and the trophy. It just was a crazy time. Something that nobody had experienced before, and we just went with it,” he said.

Knowlton’s excited about some of the young horses he has now, including an offspring of Tiz the Law. His name is Tiz Dashing and he’ll make his debut at Saratoga this summer, and maybe next year, he’ll have his owner cheering for another Belmont winner.