The Go-To Second Opinion at the Track
The Breeders’ Cup is so well-timed to distract me from important work every year. After several weeks of almost nothing to do, it always comes along at a point when I’m as busy as possible.
Between work and my classes at Columbia, I wouldn’t have had enough time to release Paddy’s Picks analysis for the Breeders’ Cup this year. Fortunately, I did most of my analysis ahead of time, and the West Coast event gave me a few extra hours this morning to sleep before finalizing this copy.
For the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, the final race of Breeders’ Cup Friday, two veteran guests are being joined by two newcomers making their official debuts. My excitement is palpable as this formidable quartet tackles one of the toughest races on the card.
In nearly two years, Grace Getman and Esme Bleecker-Adams have grown into vaguely unfamiliar horse racing analysts before readers’ eyes. Meanwhile, Corbin Gregg and Kreena Vora are brand new contributors, unsure of their place on this website but eager to learn the ways of the sport.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile is an important race every year, as it gives racing fans a very early picture of the possible Kentucky Derby contenders the following year. To properly cover this event in all its glory, here are the thoughts of three people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
Matt Ludington makes his debut on Paddy’s Picks after years of ignorance about its existence. The same hard-working, intelligent pre-med student who thought that The Observer was a sports-only publication is as new to the idea of Paddy’s Picks as he is to the sport of racing itself. Double the confusion, double the fun.
This is admittedly a crowded article, but it’s simply a testament to the enthusiasm my Fordham Observer colleagues bring to the sport of racing. Unlike almost every other guest article on Paddy’s Picks this weekend, this has absolutely no intrinsic value as an analytic piece. But damn it if it doesn’t have style.
Maddie Sandholm, the Layout Editor/Assistant Sports Social Media Editor/Contributing Writer of The Fordham Observer, returns with prose that betrays her background in visual arts. Creative Director Roxanne Cubero’s prose is… also good. Meanwhile, Opinions Editor Clara Gerlach, Copy Editor Emily Ellis, and News Editor Allie Stofer all make exceedingly promising debuts as valuable contributors to a very silly premise.
To properly understand the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies this year, the input of these three guests is paramount. In fact, missing this article may account for thousands in losses for anyone naive enough to overlook it. All three guests stayed up for nights on end deciphering this puzzle, and their findings are nothing short of astounding.
At this point, any loyal Paddy’s Picks reader should be familiar with Jill “Rice Dicer” Rice and Gillian Russo, who have been enthusiastic guests on this website since its inception. Their work is readily available across the majority of my past big race coverage, and their talents in the racing world and in all of their other efforts are common knowledge.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, as it is seen by handicappers and casual bettors alike, is about as easy as a Rubik’s Cube to figure out. Who better to solve the puzzle than some of the overthinking graduates of Regis High School?
Chris Murray, once known as a “Twice a Day” on Paddy’s Picks, knows absolutely nothing about horse racing. In fact, he holds a strong pet theory that horses aren’t real, though I won’t pretend to understand the intricate nuances of his argument. One might expect such inexperienced analysis to resemble the comments of a five-year-old, but Chris consistently shoots for the stars in everything he does. His stuff is suitable for second graders at the very least.
First, I owe my readers a long overdue apology. In my defense, I really thought things were going well before hunger, friendship, the nation of Mongolia, unexpectedly compelling persuasion, and a fair bit of alcohol intervened.
At this time last year, my analysis for the Friday card of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup was ready and available to readers. My guests were all accounted for and the rest of my picks were essentially figured out for Saturday. All I had to do was write.
I was feeling extraordinarily confident as I stood on the precipice of something great. Sure, it would cost me a Friday night of galavanting, but what was one night? This was the Breeders’ Cup, the sporting event I loved most in this world, and I was projecting it to be one of the most successful weekends in this website’s history.
I’m glad this race is on last on Breeders’ Cup Friday, as it is the most interesting of the juvenile races. A very deep field of juvenile turfers seems poised to put on a wild race, and picking four runners still isn’t enough to narrow down the contenders.
Sometimes, talented turf runners at two have a habit of disappearing later in their career. Therefore, it’s important to appreciate these precocious stars while they’re in the spotlight.
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) for Two-Year-Olds, 1 Mile on the Turf
The quality of this field dips precipitously with the withdrawal of favorite Jack Christopher, but there’s still plenty to like in a race that often features future Kentucky Derby runners. Last year’s running, the first meeting between Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie, was a classic before the Classic was even on their horizons.
I’m not exactly reinventing the wheel here, but there are a few long shots that interest me underneath. It’s always a little scary to put those outsiders on top, but if the mood strikes me, readers should know that I may end up putting a little money on an improbable runner or two.
The scariest part of any Breeders’ Cup is the race where none of the contenders seem good enough to win. The field for the Juvenile Fillies Turf isn’t the strongest but it’s deep, as 14 runners will try to improve on the world stage. It’s a very difficult race to figure out and will likely be the one that busts everyone’s multi-race bets.
I’m choosing to embrace the chaos a little with a bit of an outsider underneath, but I’m a little uncomfortable with the fact that I ended up picking most of the logical runners in what may end up being an illogical race. Such is the Breeders’ Cup.
