This year’s Triple Crown was a mixed bag, but the Travers was so stacked that it felt more like a Breeders’ Cup race. Of course, when handed one of the most competitive fields in Travers history, Paddy’s Picks guests predictably zeroed in on one very unique angle.
For the record, I don’t hold it against anyone who immediately latched on to Thorpedo Anna in the 2024 Travers. The story of a filly beating the boys on this massive stage was a scintillating one, and I repeatedly asserted that she had the talent to back it up. She was an excellent bet to win this race and proved it. The problem is that I produce articles compiling a large number of picks, and the quality of the article suffers a bit when more than half of my beloved guests pick the same horse. The fact that this was backlogged with two other articles didn’t help matters.
On the other hand, while Anna did make this Casual Bet article a little generic, she also increased turnout, as this article features more guests than my average guest piece. This is also due in part to the fact that several contributors made their Paddy’s Picks debuts for this year’s Travers. I tried my best to be an impartial grader to these select few, but I like being nice to the new folks. There’s plenty of time to be mean to them later, but they have to keep coming back first.
This is the last of three backlogged articles that have been sitting on my iPad for months. All three will be published at the same time, and this one chronologically comes last and is also the longest. If you’re reading all of these consecutively, now might be a good time to take a break. Stretch, grab a water. Live, damn it. For those of you ready to continue, I’m eager to join you.
Editor’s Note: As noted above, this is the third of three backlogged Paddy’s Picks articles being published simultaneously. The other two are linked below:
Link to Preakness Stakes guest review here.
Link to Belmont Stakes guest review here.
Saratoga, Race 13
Travers Stakes (G1) for Three-Year-Olds, 1 ¼ Miles on the Dirt
Post Positions:
1- Thorpedo Anna (B. Hernandez Jr., K. McPeek) 3-1
2- Sierra Leone (F. Prat, C. Brown) 8-5*
3- Unmatched Wisdom (I. Ortiz, C. Brown) 9-1
4- Corporate Power (J. Castellano, C. McGaughey) 19-1
5- Batten Down (J. Alvarado, W. Mott) 29-1
6- Honor Marie (T. Gaffalione, W. Beckman) 19-1
7- Dornoch (L. Saez, D. Gargan) 9-2
8- Fierceness (J. Velasquez, T. Pletcher) 7-2
Race:
Order of Finish:
1- Fierceness (8)
2- Thorpedo Anna (1)
3- Sierra Leone (2)
4- Dornoch (7)
5- Batten Down (5)
6- Corporate Power (4)
7- Unmatched Wisdom (3)
8- Honor Marie (6)
Patrick Moquin
How am I doing, you ask? How about you mind your business, huh? So nosy.
Paddy’s Pick: 8- Fierceness
“Fierceness simply seems to be a step above this field on his best day. Sierra Leone had his issues getting a clean trip in the Jim Dandy, but Fierceness was coming off a long layoff and still had enough to keep the talented closer at bay. He’s never managed to run two good races in a row, but this is a prime spot to do so.”
Grade: A+
This is going to disappoint some folks, but I absolutely rocked this one. Not only did I pick the top four finishers in order in my predictions article, but I also vehemently stood by Thorpedo Anna for months while managing to keep a level head and find the best horse on race day. No notes. Alright, my ears stick out. There, there’s a note. Moving on.
Niko Konstantellis
Niko’s birthday is allegedly August 28, which meshes very well with his newfound interest in horse racing, as the Travers will almost always fall on the weekend that he celebrates another year of successful used car dealing. This year, he and Kristina hosted me and Chris Murray in their fairly new apartment, where we spent a lovely day gambling and discussing literature.
Niko’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
Editor’s Note: Niko explained his pick in person and I forget most of the reasoning. He delivered his diatribe in a spot-on, expletive-fueled Gilbert Gottfried impersonation, however, which should provide readers with more than enough visualization aid.
Grade: A
I have to assume that Niko had some excellent reasoning for picking Thorpedo Anna, and I mean that earnestly, as his handicapping has grown very sharp in the past year or so. Watching the race live, we agreed instantly that the filly was far from disgraced in a spectacular runner-up finish, performing better than even her most ardent supporters could have predicted. On a day when Fierceness delivered his best, she ran with him every step of the way. Zenyatta, Niko’s favorite horse, would have been proud of the effort.
Emma Moquin
Emma just began her studies at Fordham for grad school, continuing the rich, six-year-old tradition of Moquin family members rabble rousing on the grounds of the Lincoln Center campus. The highly unnecessary tour of the school’s four buildings is still going to occur at some point this academic year. Hell or high water.
Emma’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
Editor’s Note: Emma did not provide reasoning for her pick. In fact, I can’t really prove she picked Thorpedo Anna before the race. We’re holding her to her word. If you’d like, you can also imagine her doing the Gilbert Gottfried impression. It still works.
Grade: A
Because I’ve taught Emma and many of my friends how to handicap horse racing in an identical style, it makes sense that they all have a heightened appreciation for fillies in the sport. Even if I hadn’t taught Emma, however, Thorpedo Anna would have been at the top of her list on sight. Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra are in her pantheon of greats, and the chance to add another female superstar would have been too tempting to pass up. Sure enough, Anna delivered, putting her on an awe-inspiring trajectory to become one of the most talented three-year-old fillies of the century.
Joan Moquin
My mother’s favorite running style in horse racing is early speed, which creates a natural incongruence when one discovers that her favorite racehorse is Zenyatta, a dead-set closer. The reasons behind her favoritism of the Queen are easy to track, however, as Zenyatta dominated with 19 straight victories and proved superior to the best males of her crop. With this in mind about my mom, it wasn’t much of a challenge to predict her Travers pick.
Mom’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Thorpedo Anna, of course! ‘This is unbelievable!’”
Grade: A
If my mom took a little bit more time to study the career of Rachel Alexandra, she may have instead referenced that filly’s victory in the 2009 G1 Woodward, where she “raised the rafters” at Saratoga against older males. Instead, she made a reference to Zenyatta’s 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic victory, in which the Queen took down turf star Gio Ponti and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird to become the first and only female to win the $5 million event. After a spectacular runner-up showing behind Fierceness, if Thorpedo Anna continues on her current trajectory, my mother’s explanation could gain prophetic significance.
Rob Patterson
I visited Rob and Rebecca in Connecticut a few weeks ago, and if we hadn’t gone to the Mastic Aquarium, I would have felt bad for completely monopolizing the trip with my boring hobbies. I crushed them at mini golf, made them walk around a bookstore for an hour and made them drive well out of their way to race to a baseball card store 30 minutes before closing time. The Pattersons are Yankees fans, but I ran around the room and forced everyone to high-five me when the Mets beat the Orioles on a walkoff homer. Rob’s refusal to play me in chess at the end of the trip was a meaningful ego check.
Rob’s Pick: 8- Fierceness
“My exotic picks have gotten me in trouble in the past so I think I’ll go with Fierceness. History with Thorpedo Anna would be cool to see here though.”
Grade: A+
The reign of Patterson begins. Rob nailed the top two in the Travers in exact order, identifying Fierceness as the best horse in the race while recognizing the historic potential of Thorpedo Anna. The young man may have entered the race with an aversion to exotics betting, but this performance could very well get him back in the game.
Rebecca Patterson
Remember that Connecticut trip I mentioned during Rob’s entry? I alluded to making “them” drive all over the state for my selfish whims. The truth is that Rob did not drive at all, and was mostly responsible for making quips from the passenger seat. Rebecca did the vast majority of the transporting and was consequently most inconvenienced by my tyrannical grip on the itinerary.
Rebecca’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna (?)
“I’m at work and I just briefly looked at the file. Those are fantastic names and you know I love an underdog.”
Grade: A (?)
You know when students forget to bubble in a multiple choice? I’m going to assume that Rebecca picked Thorpedo Anna, but I’m not sure if she realized that her analysis never actually referenced a specific horse. In fact, her response narrows down the field by exactly one entrant, as Sierra Leone was the only horse that unquestionably could not have been considered an underdog. Fierceness and Dornoch were obvious contenders as well, as was Thorpedo Anna, but it’s likely that Rebecca interpreted the filly’s sex as a historical marker against her. In this context as an underdog, Anna vastly overperformed, presumably making Rebecca proud. Unless she picked some other underdog and expected me to be a better mind-reader.
Dean Condoleo
Dean, former Oceanside National Little League star, was both a rival and teammate of mine during our baseball-obsessed childhoods on Long Island. This is his debut on Paddy’s Picks. The two of us reconnected this past year when we both received our master’s degrees from Columbia University. It was frankly cool as hell to see him again in this new setting, and I sincerely hope that our journalistic paths continue to cross in adulthood. In a true mark of my astounding maturity, I haven’t even reminded him that during our days as friendly rivals, his team couldn’t touch a T.J. Thorne fastball if he threw it into their dugout.
Dean’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“From some quick research into all the horses competing in the Travers, I think it wouldn’t only be historic, but also likely that Thorpedo Anna will torpedo through the finish line.
Even with Dornoch and Sierra Leone, who seem to be among the best in the world, I think there’s a great chance for Anna to finish first in a tight race against the stallions.
Her trainer, Ken McPeek doesn’t seem to have a bit of uncertainty in the length of the race being a problem. Her gallops are strong, as just watching her dominate on the muddy Kentucky Oaks track was enough to ensure myself to have Thorpedo Anna as my pick.
I expect an exacta of Thorpedo Anna followed fairly closely by Dornoch. She’ll get it done.”
Grade: A
First of all, Dean deserves very high marks for his attention to detail, as he provided well-researched, coherent analysis that could rival that of my most seasoned guests. As he pointed out, when taking a filly like Thorpedo Anna, a runner trying something new, confidence from the trainer is important. With a proven track record running fillies against the boys at longer distances, Ken McPeek’s willingness to try with Anna was a clear sign that she could handle it. Dean did seem to overlook Fierceness in favor of Sierra Leone and Dornoch, but his analysis of the filly was on the money.
Genevieve Charles
For nearly four painful months last year, Genevieve watched on as I fumbled my way through an audio journalism class at Columbia. In the process of proving (in vivid, painstaking detail) that I’m not going to make my living as an audio journalist, however, I was also fortunate enough to make a friend or two. Any remote form of encouragement I received during that time is more than deserving of a spot on Paddy’s Picks.
Gen’s Pick: 3- Unmatched Wisdom
“I’m gonna go with Unmatched Wisdom – what a killer name!”
Grade: B-
So, it’s a lot easier for me as the grader when my new guests’ horses do well. I really like encouraging people and keeping them on for future equine assignments. Unfortunately, Gen’s horse is really putting me in a bind. Unmatched Wisdom entered the race with a fair bit of buzz as a spoiler pick, but did not match that energy (or wisdom) in a seventh-place finish. Because she’s debuting, Gen will be getting a free letter grade, with the hope that things look up for her in future appearances.
Chris Murray
Chris has had a busy summer and the fall will only get busier. My only possible compensation is general silliness, which may take the form of horse racing picks, fantasy football chatter, fruitless encouragement of our Mets, chess, or any other miscellaneous pastime we both enjoy. Take it or leave it.
Chris’ Pick: 2- Sierra Leone
“Folks, what a race we have here. Every time these amazing horses meet up, it feels like we are bound to see something special. But after years of fermenting rivalries and unexpected twists, the 2024 Travers feels like the climax of a storyline that will be recounted for years to come.
It’s been an interesting year at Saratoga, and it would be foolish to expect a mundane outing this time around. Who will stop Thorpedo Anna? Can she even be stopped?
There is one horse who has yet to receive his due praise, despite running some of the best races at the Grade 1 level over the past few years. After falling just short against both Dornoch and Fierceness, I believe Sierra Leone will prove the doubters wrong and take a trot in the winner’s circle.
This is too strong of a competitor to be sitting at 7/2. It took a heroic effort from Fierceness to topple him last time out, and I believe my hated rival Chad Brown will have this great beast ready for the challenge this time around.”
Grade: B
To provide some context, Chris mixed up a number of promotional bets prior to this event, and ended up on the hook for a $15 wager on Sierra Leone. While the rest of us were free to celebrate a rousing stretch run between Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna, he was naturally more reserved as Sierra Leone failed to make up the necessary ground to contend in a fourth straight race. Chris did enough to earn a B with his handicapping, but he probably doesn’t think he deserves that mark.
Alex Voorhis
Alex recently moved to Brooklyn, and when I learned of this news and rehashed a long-standing bit about my dislike for the borough, I got the regrettable sense that I may have misrepresented my feelings toward her decision to live there. As a result, I’ve agreed to visit her at some point on the condition that I can still wear a shirt with sleeves.
Alex’s Pick: 4- Corporate Power
“I’m going to say it’s Corporate Power just to tick off George.”
Grade: C-
I didn’t check in with George McKnight to see if Alex’s pick ticked him off, but George is often ticked off about something, so we can assume that everything lined up at some point. Unfortunately for Alex, Corporate Power didn’t live up to his name at all, running very poorly behind better horses. One could argue that the aim of annoying George makes the loss worthwhile.
Kristina Stevanovic
I watched the Travers this year in Kristina’s apartment, where Niko presented his famous cheese platter and cured meats while she went out for beers with the boys. She eventually returned for the Travers itself, and remains one of my favorite people to watch a horse race with because of her excitement and willingness to invest in the event.
Keeks’ Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
Editor’s Note: Kristina did not provide an explanation for this, which is obviously very lazy. Instead, she yelled her pick from another room on the day of the race, and I wrote it down here without any follow-ups.
Grade: A
I write these entries out of order, and while Keeks will surely appear near the top of this article, she’s one of the last people I have to write about. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there has never been an instance in Paddy’s Picks history where so many people picked the same horse. There are only so many ways to say that Thorpedo Anna ran immensely well, so I hope Keeks is satisfied with a hearty thumbs up.
Maddie Sandholm
For those of you who somehow read my mind and determined that Maddie submitted her pick two weeks after this race took place, I would counter that you clearly didn’t read closely enough. While her submission was two weeks late, she only declared her pick two days late. That’s basically early if you think about it.
Maddie’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Gotta pick the filly! I’m a fan of Sierra Leone’s solid dark blue, as I’ve said in the past, though I don’t want to think about my dip into British English. But my heart is telling me to go with Thorpedo Anna — also, it doesn’t hurt that the burgundy and white silks are one of the top color combos in the field.”
Grade: A
Maddie picked a beautiful filly adorned in beautiful colors, avoiding England entirely and naturally finding success. Thorpedo Anna came up just short against Fierceness, who will likely enter the Breeders’ Cup Classic as the favorite in November. For Maddie to find the horse that came within a few steps of beating him on his best day is very impressive.
Emily Ellis
Emily recently began her second year of grad school at NYU, gained a considerably new understanding of the hit film, Barbie, and took part in a cookie potluck disguised as a fantasy football draft party. There are few better ways to end a summer.
Emily’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Thorpedo Anna has got my vote. And she’s not just trying to beat the boys. She’s gonna.”
Grade: A
It was easy to predict Emily’s pick for this race, as she loves the art of not thinking about horse racing. Informing her that a filly was racing against male horses ended the game for her on the spot, and sure enough, Thorpedo Anna ran incredibly well to finish second behind Fierceness, nearly defeating the champ at the wire. The quick answer was a good one in this instance.
Savannah Stewart
Because I associate Savannah with Morristown native Emily Ellis and Monmouth Park, which she consistently references, I always thought that she was also from the tough streets of New Jersey. A few months ago, however, I learned that she’s living in Pennsylvania. Was she always from Pennsylvania? What’s up with all the Jersey stuff? Ever since I learned this information, it’s come up again and again in conversation, which makes me think that she has been hiding it from me until recently.
Savannah’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Oh, we’re going for homegirl THORPEDO ANNA. Ridiculous, count me in. I also like CORPORATE POWER. HELP.”
Grade: A
First of all, I like the implication that Savannah gets stuck in an all-caps loop toward the end of her analysis. As for her picks, she went aggressively mainstream, picking the most popular answer to win and the second-most popular as her second choice. Thorpedo Anna certainly delivered with a wonderful performance, but Corporate Power didn’t come close in the end. A solid showing overall for the proud daughter of the Keystone State. Man, I hope she’s actually in Pennsylvania. I’m 90% sure I heard that.
Shaily Jani
Shaily now lives with Allie Stofer and a cat, whose name I believe to be Duchess. For those of you unaware, I’m extremely allergic to cats, and yet, I still consider Shaily a close friend of mine. That’s just the kind of guy I am.
Shaily’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“She’s just like me. OK girlboss. She’s going to show Corporate Power what’s up.”
Grade: A
Thorpedo Anna, the girlboss in question, drove Corporate Power into the ground, along with most of this male-dominated field. Shaily’s faith in womanhood, or fillyhood, was well-placed in Anna’s extremely capable hooves.
Ava Peabody
Ava’s favorite baseball team is the Washington Nationals. Her favorite baseball players, anecdotally, include Ryan Zimmerman, Juan Soto and Anthony Rendon. I find this to be immensely sad.
Ava’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Well, to celebrate this momentous occasion, I will choose noted woman horse Thorpedo Anna, both for her gender and to acknowledge the extra h in torpedo. Which could mean nothing.”
Grade: A
Thorpedo Anna is indeed a… noted woman horse. The extra “H” does in fact mean nothing, at least for our purposes. Ava’s analysis was deadly accurate in all areas, as Anna’s strong finish behind Fierceness fell well within the momentous billing advertised.
Clara Gerlach
Clara is still partying down in Miami while I run her fantasy football team for her. She’s an enterprising woman and can’t be tied down by the menial tasks associated with life in the North. In addition to fantasy football duties, I’m more than happy to place her bets for her, and would likely partake in grocery shopping as well if that would be at all convenient for her.
Clara’s Pick: 2- Sierra Leone
“Okay! My pick is Sierra Leone because it’s a fun name. This horse isn’t afraid of going against gender roles, and is doing it in a Blair Waldorf sort of way. (But I’m secretly rooting for Anna, because it takes a lot to complete against a bunch of men, surrounded by people who doubt you).”
Grade: B
I have several nitpicks with Clara’s analysis, if you’ll all humor me for a moment. First, it’s very interesting for Clara to try and sympathize with Thorpedo Anna in her fight against misogynistic doubters, several seconds after identifying as a doubter herself. Second, I’ve seen Sierra Leone race several times and have never come even remotely close to making an association with Blair Waldorf. I’ve occasionally gleaned an unsavory British colonizing vibe from the name choice, or perhaps more idealistically, the owners’ assumed appreciation for the nation along the African coastline. If I was making a connection to “going against gender roles” in this particular race, however, I may have gone in another direction. The favored dude horse named after a map was literally racing against a girl, and he lost.
Grace Getman
As I was preparing to write this entry for Grace, it occurred to me that “Shifty Barrister” would be a fun name for a horse. The thought was so distracting that I completely forgot what I was going to write. I understand that it sounds like I’m implying that Grace is shifty. This is wrong, however. It’s simply a good name for a racehorse, and Grace hasn’t sold me any trinkets or potions from the inside of her oversized trenchcoat in many years.
Grace’s Pick: 4- Corporate Power
“I think Corporate Power is the only thing that could beat a woman.”
Grade: C-
After making an idealistic pick in the Belmont, Grace assumed a cold, unforgiving world view for the Travers, but this attitude was also misguided. Thorpedo Anna did lose this race to Fierceness, which could have all sorts of symbolic meaning in its own right, but Corporate Power proved plainly inferior and did not figure in the ultimate battle. I hope Grace learns something from this. And tells me after.
Esme Bleecker-Adams
At her birthday party in late August, Esme received some beautiful gifts in fine wrapping paper and gift bags because she’s an adult with well-adjusted friends. For my part, I handed her an unwrapped package of permanent markers on the sidewalk. The markers were colorful, if that does anything for you.
Esme’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Thorpedo Anna’s record is very impressive (as always thank you to wikihow for decoding the little numbers), so I’ll throw my hat in the ring for her! As a runner up I also appreciate the honesty of ‘Corporate Power’, that’s very American.”
Grade: A
I didn’t know there was a wikihow page dedicated to deciphering horse racing statistics. It’s also possible that Esme has nicknamed me wikihow without informing me. Perfectly in line with Esme’s prediction, Thorpedo Anna ran even better than her record suggested, taking it to Fierceness in the late stages and nearly pulling off a historic win. Corporate Power was clearly a vibe pick and one that I can forgive for those patriotic instincts.
Mia Agostinelli
In terms of Paddy’s Picks behavior, Mia has a few interesting quirks. Most interesting among them, she often spends more time explaining her busy schedule than she does to the analysis itself. In this instance, you may get the impression that she agreed to make a Travers pick, forgot to do so, and then submitted shortly before the race. You would be on to something.
Mia’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“I pick the filly.”
Grade: A
Though Mia’s pick was explained in a terse style, she nevertheless supported a very strong contender. Thorpedo Anna was indeed the filly, and she ran well to finish second. Mia was entirely accurate in her analysis and correct in her conclusions, which is more than most people on this site can typically say.
Emma Regovich
Emma and I talk exclusively about sci-fi/fantasy franchises and sports. Her decision to take a step back from her fantasy football management role this season is frankly a tough hit to our friendship, but I’m hoping that the new season of Rings of Power gets some momentum going.
Emma’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Well of course I gotta go with Thorpedo Anna cause betting on underdogs is wayyyy more fun than actual logic. I will always support a girlboss.”
Grade: A
Thorpedo Anna may have been an underdog in a historical context, but she certainly didn’t run like one in the stretch at Saratoga. Emma’s correct that logic wasn’t completely necessary in this case, as the trainer’s decision to prepare her to take on male horses was an overwhelmingly good sign that she could handle it.
Christian Madlansacay
Christian now lives in White Plains, where I imagine that he has fooled some of the rascally neighborhood boys with a scheming chain of command to eventually repaint his white picket fence. I didn’t know where I was going with that sentence when I started it, but we landed on a Huck Finn reference and I’m sticking to my guns.
Christian’s Pick: 7- Dornoch
“Dornoch because you better go check who it is.”
Grade: B-
I originally wrote down that I wished I could give bonus points for stupid humor, and then I realized that there wasn’t anyone preventing me from doing so. Despite the fact that Dornoch was very disappointing in a fourth-place showing, Christian caught be off guard with a silly one-liner and I’ve bumped up his grade to reflect that.
Jill Rice
Several weeks after the Travers, I saw Jill on her first trip to New York in two years. I discovered that she’s taking a class in papyrology, or the study of ancient manuscripts. I’ve agreed to chip in for the Indiana Jones costume upon her return to the States.
Jill’s Pick: 6- Honor Marie
“Pat has told me that Honor Marie is not, in fact, a girl, and therefore perhaps I shouldn’t support him in this race. His comment leads me to think that Thorpedo Anna should be my favorite — is that strictly because I’m a woman? Who’s to say. But as a fellow middle-named Marie, I really can’t get over Honor and must bet on him. Honor is also a Latin word (bonus!). Second goes to Fierceness because the odds are equal to the odds of Thorpedo Anna, which are pretty high/good/adjective saying 3-1 is favorable.”
Grade: D-
Love the accusations against me for leading and generalizing guests in the middle of Jill’s analysis. Besides the warm sentiments, however, Jill got very close to finding some right answers in her analysis, only to pick last-place finisher Honor Marie as her winner. Obviously, the strangely named colt didn’t come close to winning the Travers, likely because of the Latin word bonus.
Kreena Vora
My friendship with Kreena has progressed to the point where I see her too often to provide very compelling life updates. There’s too little to catch up on. This week, she went to classes at Columbia, which occur too late in the day for her to be productive. She also had lunch at some point. The sentence you’re currently reading was written several weeks after the rest of this paragraph, and I have no need to update any of the preceding information.
Kreena’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Gotta pick Thorpedo Anna because feminism. Also like Dornoch because speedy.”
Grade: A
Feminism was a big factor in this one, and Thorpedo Anna delivered in nearly every way imaginable with a heroic performance. Dornoch didn’t deliver on speedy much, finishing a distant fourth, but that wasn’t Kreena’s top pick and she won’t be graded on it. Kreena would admit that she has slacked off somewhat in her handicapping tutelage in the last year or so, but she remains a formidable bettor when motivated.
Alyssa Macaluso
When Alyssa was a copy editor for The Fordham Observer, I once offered her a limb in exchange for her help in publishing one of my articles ahead of schedule. Her unwillingness to accept this at the time means that I’m still technically indebted to her for a favor that is worth approximately one limb. I haven’t done anything close to that for her in all these years since.
Alyssa’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Obviously Thorpedo Anna has to be my first pick because girl power 🌸”
Grade: A
Of all the people who picked Thorpedo Anna to win the Travers, Alyssa’s explanation seems to most closely distill the consensus opinion. Anna has been an inspiration to many this year, and in a sport where males and females occasionally land on equal footing, it is always fun to see star fillies try and take that next step. Alyssa may not be intimately aware of all the history that led to Anna’s runner-up finish, but her grasp of the concept was highly rewarding in this instance.
Allie Stofer
Allie is a genius who is never wrong and makes good horse picks all the time. (Editor’s Note: I would very much like my family back.)
Allie’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“August 26 is Women’s Equality Day. I am in charge of running a full event for my office while all of my bosses are out of town enjoying the summer. So in honor of women, I’m rooting for Thorpedo Anna. Also I will always root against men when there is the opportunity sooooooooo easy to pick there too.”
Grade: A
In the age of LinkedIn and the blending of social and professional life, I will look past Allie’s apparent resentment toward her bosses skipping town late in the summer. I’ll happily fixate on the idea that she not only wanted Thorpedo Anna to win to uplift women, but also to tear down men. Taking away the patriarchy label and directing her animosity directly toward male individuals was a fascinating and raw move, and Thorpedo Anna roughly delivered on those expectations, coming up just short of Fierceness and crushing the rest.
Marissa Gootee
Every two months or so, Marissa sends a frantic series of texts in which she informs me of significant events in her life and makes loose plans to chat in the future. This cycle is only broken up by Paddy’s Picks requests, in which she has the opportunity to do essentially the same thing while replacing life events with horse racing analysis. I personally find this to be a far more engaging arrangement.
Marissa’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“OMG HELL YES. THANK YOU yes. All hail females of literally any species always. You go girl. I hope she beats everyone’s ass.”
Grade: A
In case you didn’t catch it, Marissa is a straight talker when it comes to beating up on men. Sure enough, Thorpedo Anna did just that to the Kentucky Derby runner-up and a slew of other male contenders. Fierceness was the only one that had her number at Saratoga, but Anna’s performance fell well within Marissa’s hopes of triumph for females across the animal kingdom.
Megan DiDominica
Megan is basically a doctor now. She’s about split-second decisions under pressure. Check this out.
Megan’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“I’m in. I don’t even need to open the pdf. Girl Power.”
Grade: A
See that? Megan has had her struggles in earlier Paddy’s Picks appearances, but in this case, it didn’t take a second thought for her to identify a serious contender. Thorpedo Anna came up just short, but that takes very little away from Megan’s demonstration of highly effective intuition.
Maggie Tattersfield
One of the last times I saw Maggie, she assisted in a lobbying effort to get an old season of the Disney Channel Games on the television in Niko and Kristina’s apartment. If this had occurred on Travers Day, I may have had to call in the National Guard, but it was an uneventful Tuesday and the show actually suited the vibes really well. We also had cheesecake.
Maggie’s Pick: 4- Corporate Power
“I’ll go Corporate Power because the jockey must have a lot to do with the horse’s performance, and Javier Castellano is a horse whisperer. My reasons being: I read that he won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 2023 on different horses. He’s 46 and started riding at 5, so he has 40 years of experience with horses. He’s older than the other jockeys, but still winning titles. Mage was also 15-1 but won the Kentucky Derby. I think they’ll win it. (hate the name corporate power though)”
Grade: C-
Unlike many Paddy’s Picks guests with artistic ability, Maggie’s analysis does not contain any hint of this facet of her character. Instead, she approached the Travers with historical trends, which likely drove her away from the filly Thorpedo Anna. Unfortunately, while Corporate Power certainly had plenty of powerful connections in his corner, racing is ultimately determined by the quality of the horse. Castellano has ridden a lot of champs in his day, but it would’ve taken a lot for him to get Corporate Power into the winner’s circle here.
Tony Kraus
Several months ago, I sent Tony a clip of Bobby Thomson’s walkoff home run for the New York Giants in a tiebreaker series to determine the 1952 N.L. pennant winner. He never responded to this message, so I can assume that he either cherishes the clip or is in for one hell of surprise when he goes through his unread messages next tax season.
Tony’s Pick: 7- Dornoch
“My sources tell me Thorpedo Anna could be the first filly to win the Travers since 1915, which would be cool, but Thorpedo Anna is a stupid ass name and I don’t want whoever named her to receive any sort of validation. If Sierra Leone has any sort of connection to the country, I’d like him to win, but if not, I hope he does poorly. In the likely case that Sierra Leone is unaffiliated with the country, I’m rooting for Dornoch because I have no idea what that name means and bet that’s the case for most people. As you know there’s nothing I love more than a horse with a mysterious aura and Dornoch has just that.”
Grade: C+
Thony took the bold step of attacking Thorpedo Anna for her name, essentially arguing that the 19th Amendment should be repealed. While he was actually correct to fade Anna for another win candidate, he failed to even mention Fierceness and ultimately favored Dornoch. While the Belmont Stakes winner did bring a mysterious aura to the Travers, he also brought a slightly fraudulent reputation and suffered those consequences.
Juliana Burke
Jul recently posted an Instagram story of a lake, and I replied complimenting the lake. You would think the crack reporting team at Paddy’s Picks could dig up something more interesting for a Jul life update, but we’re on a deadline here and that’s all we had on file.
Jul’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Oh then there’s my selection. All about feminism these days.”
Grade: A
Jul’s support of Thorpedo Anna is noble, despite the fact that she strongly implied that she was (at least) ambivalent about feminism at some point. Rather than elaborate on that, she left it very open-ended, so I suppose readers are free to interpret it however they wish. Anna charged home to finish second in the Travers, and I can’t imagine she would have been able to do it if Jul still hated women.
Eddie Harrison
Eddie sent me an email about sailing at the beginning of the summer, and I thought it was the beginning of a new and exciting newsletter-style email chain about his passion. I never received another one, however, which makes me think that he changed his mind about the extent to which I’m ready to handle his rough-and-tumble world on the high seas. I only wish to regain his respect in the near future.
Eddie’s Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“Ah crap. Go fillies I hope.”
Grade: A
Eddie’s phrasing suggests that he got his pick in a little late, but I like Eddie and am willing to give him preferential treatment. He wasn’t the only one who blindly picked the filly in this race, and consequently, he wasn’t the only one who nearly landed on a monumentally historic race result. Thorpedo Anna fell just short of achieving the Travers victory, but there was no shame at all in supporting her to do so.
Matt Ludington
I wonder which horse Matt, a noted woman lover, chose in this year’s Travers.
Matt’s Pick: 2- Sierra Leone
“You know I love women. Thorpedo Anna will be third, I reckon. First, Sierra Leone, followed by Fierceness. We are trusting the oddsmakers.”
Grade: B+
Matt nailed the top three in the Travers this year, but picked them in exactly the wrong order. If he had been betting the race, he likely would have made some money in exotics betting, however, which will boost his grade despite his win support for Sierra Leone. The favorite of the race was again a massive disappointment behind the top pair, but Matt found plenty of value underneath to make up some of the difference.
Matt Clarkin
While I sit here and try to make something up about Matt’s life in Charlotte, North Carolina, I’m distracted by the question of whether or not he would enjoy fishing. On one hand, he’s very calm, which could make it a natural pastime. On the other, he’s psychotically competitive, and his patience fluctuates wildly depending on the situation. Those long waits for fish-related action could take their toll. I can definitely see him on a boat, which is a start.
Matt’s Pick: 3- Unmatched Wisdom
“I’m riding with (no pun intended) Unmatched Wisdom. While Thorpedo Anna is a nice story and all, I always go with my gut. And Unmatched Wisdom caught my eye immediately. A great name for a great horse. A winning horse.”
Grade: C-
I guess the name is a matter of opinion, but it’s a shame that Matt spoke in such absolute terms for the rest of his analysis. Unmatched Wisdom earned some hype going into the Travers, but he didn’t show up at all. Thorpedo Anna didn’t come home to win either, but chasing history would’ve gotten Matt a lot closer to a win than that gut he was bragging about.
Lucas Ludgate
Lucas is still in Texas and can’t bet. For those of you who have been reading Paddy’s Picks for years, you’ve hopefully been tuned in to this long-ranging narrative of a man in gambling purgatory. This time around, he arranged for me to place a bet for him and forgot to follow through on that proposition. Such is the way for this cursed Commodore.
Lucas’ Pick: 1- Thorpedo Anna
“I’m taking Thorpedo Anna. Feminismo. Too much early speed to take Dornoch and I’ve been burned by Sierra Leone. Fierceness is very good.”
Grade: A
It’s hard to tell if Lucas would have asked me to place an exacta box for him, but based on his analysis, it seems that he would have been on the money. Thorpedo Anna came up just short, losing him a win bet, but he seemed to identify Fierceness as her likeliest challenger. It was yet another successful race without a single cent of profit to show for it.
Ed Jarvis
When Ed and I were in high school, we often used to take the crosstown bus together on the way to the Upper East Side. In retrospect, this was probably horrible for general morale, as the two of us developed spectacular thousand-yard stares but no helpful coping mechanisms whatsoever.
Eddy’s Pick: 5- Batten Down
“Well after seeing my two ‘female’ heroes fight for gold in Paris it only seems right that the script should flip — and as the progressive thinker I am I’m sure you think that’s the direction I’m going to go with… but given the unmatched wisdom and fierceness I just witnessed at the DNC this week — I think the choice is spelled out for me — give me Batten Down at 20/1 — as that is what is about to happen to the Patriarchy!”
Grade: B
Ed is the only person in this article who picked Batten Down, which could have proven quite profitable had the horse managed to outrun his odds. Unfortunately, he ran just poorly enough to finish outside the top four, making himself known early before losing steam to stronger win candidates. I feel like there’s some sort of joke to be made there, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.