Tag: Analysis

Saratoga Analysis: Thursday, July 22, 2021

It turns out that returning to Saratoga after last weekend’s deflating events at Monmouth was well worth it. The decision has lifted my spirits considerably, and it would be foolish of me not to return with analysis for another day at the Spa. Unfortunately, my Wednesday evenings are not as free as my Tuesdays this summer, so I regret to inform readers that the written portion of Paddy’s Picks will be delayed or omitted in sections today. 

The picks are available for each race and are listed below, but I simply didn’t have time to write out my explanations. I’ll try to do so today, so make sure to come back throughout the day for updates, but I wanted to get selections out to readers promptly since they were available. Let’s take a look at the card: read more

Saratoga Analysis: Wednesday, July 21, 2021

I just can’t seem to stay away. After a supremely deflating Haskell Stakes, in which a deserving winner was DQed and a fan favorite horse and jockey nearly died, it was either time for me to step away from racing or return to it in the hopes of finding some form of redemption. After a good deal of rain yesterday, let’s see what the Spa has to offer on this nondescript Wednesday morning.

Race 1 (CANCELED)

Jonathan Kiser Novice (Hurdles) for Four-Year-Olds and Upward, 2 1/16 Miles over Hurdles

3- The Mean Queen (Ire) read more

Horses to Watch: Saratoga, July 17, 2021

As much as I wanted to do a full-card analysis of Saratoga today, a mix of Haskell analysis, other duties earlier this week, and general fatigue kept me from making it happen. As a small consolation to readers, I’ve put some of my notes about today into written form. These aren’t necessarily picks, but simply horses that I intend to keep an eye on as the season progresses. On a big day like today, there’s plenty to observe and learn from, and horses with bright futures appear in nearly every race. read more

Saratoga Analysis: Thursday, July 15, 2021

I think I missed the gleaming white fences most, the ones shrouded under ancient trees in a wide expanse of land that a suburbanite from Long Island could hardly fathom. I like walking around and watching people go about their business. The horses are all beautiful up here, as if touched by magic waters, but the crowd is always humorously mixed. The usual track people are here today, slightly less rowdy out of respect, but there are others too. Smartly dressed men in suits sit alongside budding families alongside ambitious college kids looking for a spot to put their beer pong table, though I feel that they may have trouble on Opening Day. Sam the Bugler just wished me luck and cryptically told me he was “working with tools of ignorance.” I love it all. It might not be a place to make money, but it’s a place to make a living, if that makes sense. read more

Paddy’s Picks 2021 Belmont Stakes Analysis

The Belmont Stakes is returning to 12 furlongs as God intended. The field for this year’s Test of Champions is wanting in size but not in talent, as several top runners from this year’s Triple Crown return to lock horns at a new and unfamiliar distance. When Sir Winston defeated Tacitus in the 2019 Belmont, I felt all-knowing, and when Tapwrit won in 2017, I felt hopelessly lost. Let’s see where I find myself this year handling this top-notch field:

Race 11

Belmont Stakes (G1) for Three-Year-Olds, 1 1/2 Miles on the Dirt read more

Belmont Analysis: Saturday, June 5, 2021

Paddy’s Picks began nearly a year ago with analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. We now come full circle with another stacked card at my favorite track on the planet. I’ve been mulling over the Belmont Stakes for weeks now, but my attention is now diverted by a massive amount of talent at every division, including both Pegasus World Cup winners and more Chad Brown turf horses than one can possibly profit from. Days like these breathe life into every racing fan and inspire hope in an uncertain future for the sport. Let’s get cracking: read more

Belmont Analysis: Friday, June 4, 2021

This is the sort of Belmont card I can get used to. I’m not sure that NYRA should lean into its reputation for superior turf racing, but the fact of the matter is that there are few better places in the U.S. for such deep fields on the grass. This card features multiple graded stakes, some messy allowance and maiden races and enough handicapping strategies to tide over any handicapper — at least until the next Racing Form comes out. Without much more chatter, let’s take a look at the first: read more

Belmont Analysis: Thursday, June 3, 2021

I hear the rain on my bedroom window this morning and I hope it ceases some time soon. The temporary return of Paddy’s Picks at Belmont will likely be hampered by some moisture in the track this afternoon, but similar conditions didn’t hurt me last weekend.

On Saturday, May 29, my father and I went to Belmont for the second time since 2019 to watch Power Up Paynter. As 0.1% shareholders in the horse’s interests through the MyRaceHorse service, we signed up for a lottery that allowed us box seats for the day and paddock access for the sixth race. There was slight confusion about this lottery at first, as my mother expressed little interest in raising a dog when the “P.U.P. lottery” came up in family group chats. read more

Nittany Buy-Ins: Pegasus World Cup Preview w/ Guest Handicapper Emma Moquin

On Friday afternoon, I turned to Emma Moquin and made a very simple request. I knew she was busy doing schoolwork, as her semester at Penn State started before mine. I also knew that she liked to work diligently and with painstaking care, so when I asked her to fully analyze two 12-horse races in a single night, one can imagine my shock when she readily agreed.

Emma’s love of horse racing is more well-hidden than mine, because she’s cool and has a reputation to uphold. I, on the other hand, have no such issues, and that allows me to create a website and over 200 articles dedicated to a sport no one’s cared about since the Nixon administration took over. read more

Gulfstream Analysis: Saturday, January 23, 2021

It’s 8:30 in the morning as I put the finishing touches on this piece, and anyone that’s interacted with me over the past few months knows that this is the earliest I’ve been awake since Thanksgiving. Waking up is difficult when there’s nothing going on, but when there’s racing to write about, I’m suddenly the early bird in Oceanside again.