Welcome

My name is Patrick Moquin, and I’d like to introduce you to Paddy’s Picks, a website I will stop referring to as a horse racing blog as soon as I can think of a classier name for it. Here, I’ll be doing as much racing analysis as I possibly can while also sharing the occasional thought on certain facets of the sport of kings.

Before I begin to explain the blog (online racing journal?), I’d first like to introduce myself. At this point in this website’s young life, if you’re reading this, then you probably know me already. On the off chance that someone down the line reads this and has never met me, I’ll start from the top. I’m a 20-year-old college student from Oceanside, New York, a lovely little town on the south shore of Long Island. I graduated from Regis High School in 2018 and am currently studying journalism at Fordham University. I live on Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan, though other activities bring me to Rose Hill often enough. Much of my time is spent writing for The Fordham Observer, the school newspaper on the Lincoln Center campus, where I serve on the editorial board as Sports & Health Editor. I played baseball until the age of 18, and I’ve been a horse racing fan for as long as I can remember.

Now that you know me, I can begin to explain the blog (equestrian forum?). The first part of this website will concern horse racing analysis. Armed with only the Daily Racing Form, online race replays and a whole lot of studying on Equibase, I’ll provide my thoughts on races occurring that day. For now, I’ll be playing my home track, Belmont Park. Belmont is the place to be at the moment anyway, given that the first leg of the 2020 Triple Crown will be run tomorrow. I’ll usually select a track to play for the week, and will do so in a way that I’ll always be playing relevant cards. The Kentucky Derby may draw my attention to Churchill Downs, for instance. For now though, expect analysis from Belmont and later Saratoga once the New York colony travels upstate.

As for the analysis itself, I don’t expect any knowledgeable handicapper to take the words of a 20-year-old as gospel. After about twelve years of experience, there’s still plenty I don’t know about this game, and the only way to learn is to lose first. That being said, I believe that my analysis is informed by reasonable observations and a solid base of knowledge accrued in over a decade around the track. I have my strengths and weaknesses, and I’ll be honest when I’m either not interested in a race or am having trouble deciphering it. The beauty of this activity is that no one is right all the time. I don’t believe I would enjoy going to the track as much if I didn’t have people with me to discuss the card. This is a collaborative pastime that I’ve grown to love, and in publishing my analysis, I merely hope to provide others with a second opinion, one that they may utilize or reject as they form their own.  

I’m providing a vague definition for the second part of this blog (virtual tip sheet?) so as to not limit myself in what I write. Essentially, if I have something interesting to write about as it pertains to horse racing, I’d like to express that thought in this section. Perhaps it’s a look at horse racing history, or a horse I like on the Derby trail. When Bob Baffert loses Charlatan and Nadal to injuries and still has a chance to win a 2020 Triple Crown race, I’d like to talk about it. However, if I feel I have something to say about Exceller’s win in the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup, I’d also like to address that. After all, it’s not every day that you defeat two Triple Crown winners in the same race. This section will have less structure than my analysis, but hopefully it is valuable in a different sense.

To be completely honest, I’m not sure how far I can go with this blog (pony pick’em?). I’ve started it at a point in time when I happen to have a good deal of free time. That won’t always be the case, as I’ll eventually go back to college, take on more work for The Observer and pursue employment. However, for as long as this is enjoyable to maintain and update, I will continue to do it. Perhaps I can help a few people make some money along the way.