Month: September 2020

The Casual Bet: Kentucky Derby “Analysis”

Every year, the Kentucky Derby is an event where casual fans of horse racing congregate to watch the best three-year-olds in the country face off. As a result, the uninformed opinion is just as important as the informed one, because there are a lot of ways to come up with a winner. With one or two exceptions, the guests featured here have provided opinions that are baseless, silly, lighthearted, and most importantly, exactly what the Derby needs.

Joan Moquin

Once again, my mother has chosen to include her analysis among clueless counterparts. Her thoughts on the race are coherent, and don’t really belong here as a result, but will be included according to her wishes. read more

Handicapping Roundtable: Kentucky Derby Guest Analysis

The problem with guest analysis for a race like this year’s Kentucky Derby is that there’s really only one option. Tiz the Law has been unstoppable in 2020, and if I asked 20 experienced handicappers to provide analysis, 15 or more of them would begrudgingly chose the favorite. As a result, I decided to shift tactics.

I’ve found four very talented handicappers that will be breaking the Law, so to speak. All of them are incorporating the superhorse into their betting strategy, but all four will be attempting to beat him in one way or another. If anything, this article should demonstrate that the best handicappers are the ones who try to maximize value, even when there’s a 3-5 shot in play. read more

Paddy’s Picks Kentucky Derby Preview

1- Finnick the Fierce (SCRATCHED)

This colt has put in several valiant efforts against very strong competition, but he’s never come close to breaking through and joining the ranks of Tiz the Law and Authentic. He’s relatively slow here, but that’s not his biggest problem; Finnick the Fierce only has one eye, his left. Breaking from the rail, that means that he won’t be able to see the rest of the field to his outside at the start of the race. It’s a serious challenge against such a large field, and I seriously doubt he’ll manage to overcome the obstacle. read more

Nittany Buy-Ins: Kentucky Oaks Preview w/ Guest Handicapper Emma Moquin

Every year, on the eve of the Kentucky Derby, the country’s top three-year-old fillies make their best attempt to upstage the boys in the Kentucky Oaks. In many past renditions, the smaller, all-female event has paled in comparison to the larger, mostly male Derby. This year, however, may be a little different.

While Tiz the Law prepares to romp again tomorrow against a weak Derby field, this year’s Oaks field features two of the most compelling fillies in recent memory. Gamine, the inexperienced superstar, will face off against Swiss Skydiver, the battle hardened powerhouse, in a highly anticipated showdown that’s been building for months. read more

“My Old Kentucky Home:” The Complicated History of a Derby Day Tradition

This Saturday, September 5, 20 horses will step on to the historic dirt course at Churchill Downs for the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. For two minutes every year, the world travels back in time to fervently spectate a dying sport, a pillar of Kentuckian culture that will never fall, so long as there are still Kentuckians to fight for it. In Louisville, “the Derby” is an institution first and a sporting event second.

This year, the grandstands will be empty, but it won’t be silent as the 20 hopefuls prepare to enter the starting gate. What 2020’s rendition will lack in fanfare, it will make up for with a heralded tradition. For the past 90 years, the official state song has accompanied the horses through the post parade.  read more