The Go-To Second Opinion at the Track
Featured in Illustration: Affirmed and jockey Steve Cauthen Winning the 1978 Kentucky Derby (Illustration Courtesy of Esmé Bleecker-Adams)
To pull back the curtain on the Paddy’s Picks process, I usually write the introductions to these articles at the end. The problem is that I’m currently in a car in the middle of Pennsylvania on the way to my sister’s graduation. So you’ll all have to forgive me if I’m a little succinct in setting the stage for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Of all the articles I publish here on Paddy’s Picks, I must admit that the Casual Bet is consistently one of my favorites. The value it has to serious bettors has always been minimal and the opinions are, by design, coming from people with a limited view of the racing world. In many cases, the things that I share about the sport in conversation make up all or most of some contributors’ knowledge. But after nearly a year of producing various editions of this article, I’m happy to say that it has become a very enjoyable activity with my friends, and has captured exactly what I hoped it would.
This Pegasus World Cup Dirt edition of the Casual Bet features an alarming rate of competency, which is undoubtedly upsetting for readers accustomed to sillier content. After two days of searching, I only managed to recruit two uninformed individuals to contribute their opinions, so I had to call in a few ringers.
This is Kristina Stevanovic’s third appearance on Paddy’s Picks, and in her time as a contributor, she has developed a level of enthusiasm unparalleled by any other guest. Meanwhile, Chris Murray is making his debut for this race, and while he does intend to learn the sport at some point, he’s totally uninformed at this time.
The Pegasus World Cup may not be as popular as the Kentucky Derby or other big racing events in the U.S., but casual racing fans still make up a portion of the audience. Those tuning in Saturday may want to know more about the runners in this important race, and the Casual Bet will serve them well. Fortunately, people without information can still form opinions.
As some of my readers may know, I dedicate the majority of my time as a writer to The Fordham Observer, the college newspaper for Fordham College at Lincoln Center, where I serve as Sports & Health Editor. To properly “analyze” the 2021 running of the Pegasus World Cup Turf, I’ve asked five of my fellow editors to provide their insight.
