By Bill Finley
Andrew Kung is one smart fella. He is a graduate student at the University of California, San Francisco and is working his way toward a Ph.D in Bioinformatics, which is the science of collecting and analyzing complex biological data such as genetic codes. Last week, he enjoyed his 30 minutes of fame when he was champion on Jeopardy! Thursday, winning $21,000.
But when the subject of horse racing came up, Kung and two other contestants were left scratching their heads when it came to a question that, one would think, anybody not living under a rock could answer. With a question worth $600 in the first round, host Alex Trebek, read: “Bob Baffert trained two recent Triple Crown winning horses, American Pharoah in 2015 and this horse in 2018.”
The three contestants, which also included Carrie Blazina and Jackie Fuchs, stood there expressionless for a few seconds and said nothing. Trebek gave the answer, Justify (Scat Daddy), and moved on to the next question. Probably something the players would know something about, like Norse mythology.
The non-answer did not cost Kung and he went on to win the show by a dozen lengths or so, but he admitted to the TDN that he was embarrassed that he could not come up with the answer. He said he's a casual horse racing fan and knew very well that Justify won the Triple Crown, but his mind just went blank.
“I'm actually a casual fan of the sport,” he said. “I enjoy going to the racetrack occasionally. My aunt used to take me to Santa Anita every so often when I lived in L.A. I live in San Francisco now and I go to Golden Gate sometimes. I lived in Boston for a while and I would also go to Suffolk Downs. I just completely blanked at the moment. It was just rattling around in my head. If they had asked about the trainer, I definitely would have come up with Bob Baffert.”
Kung distinctly remembers watching the Derby on television, but says he did not watch the Belmont. He remembers the race because it was run over a wet track and says that every time he watches a race run in the slop it reminds him of the classic Seinfeld episode where Kramer overhears two bettors talking about a mud-lover who is a sure thing and then goes to OTB to bet on the horse.
“Those big races in the mud always remind me of that Seinfeld episode, the one where Kramer says, 'his father was a mudder, his mother was a mudder,'” he said.
Though Kung and the other two contestants did not attempt to answer the question, he said he was briefly tempted to blurt out the name of another famous horse.
“Yes, I was kicking myself a little bit,” he said. “Somehow, I had Funny Cide in mind. On the Jeopardy set, though, you need to have a short memory and move on.”
Kung believes that American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) was such a sensation, that he has overshadowed Justify, another reason he whiffed on the question.
“To me, America Pharoah winning the Triple Crown after all those years was a huge story,” he said. “I think because of that, Justify slipped under the radar a bit.”
He said the episode was taped in mid-November. Ironically, just a few days beforehand he made his most recent trip to the racetrack.
“I went to Golden Gate Fields in early November,” he said. “They had one of those nights with $1 beers and $1 hot dogs. When I go, I'm just a small bettor. I like the 10 cent superfecta box.”
It's quite possible that the Jeopardy! crew just wound up with a trio that pays almost no attention to horse racing. Nonetheless, it was an embarrassing moment for the sport as no one could up with the name of the most recent Triple Crown winner. The Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown are supposed to be among the very few events that resonate with the general public and not just the racing fan. Had Trebek asked who won this year's GI Breeders' Cup Classic, it would have come as no surprise if no one would have come up with Accelerate (Lookin at Lucky). But the Triple Crown?
When asked if the Jeopardy! debacle reflected badly on racing, Kung said: “That's a tough question. I know it's not in the cultural forefront like some other sports or has the same cache as the more popular sports. But I feel it still has a dedicated following. Justify was definitely in the news.”
He said his cousin, whose mother is a big racing fan, gave him hell for not knowing the answer and he is aware of the razzing he and his fellow contestants have been taking on social media.
As for Blazina, she finished second behind Kung. She is a writer for the Boston Globe and recounted her time on Jeopardy! in a Dec. 21 Globe story. When reached by the TDN, she refused to comment. My guess is she hasn't made many trips to Suffolk Downs lately or owns a Baffert bobblehead doll.
As for Kung, he said winning $21,000 as a student is a dream comes true and he promises he will pay close attention to next year's Triple Crown.
Winningest Horse of 2018 Up For Grabs
Blow The Whistle (Dixie Chatter) looked like the heavy favorite to land the title as the winningest horse of 2018 when the gelding went to the post in Saturday's first at Laurel. With 10 wins on the year, he was tied with four other horses. But at 2-5, he was a dud, finishing third in the five-horse field.
That leaves the door open for two others to take the title. Persie (Street Sense) will start Wednesday at Penn National. Hot Rodin (Heat Shield) will seek win No. 11 on the year Dec. 29 at Turf Paradise.
A Quiet Day in California
There was no racing Saturday in Southern California as the Los Alamitos meet is over and Santa Anita won't open until Dec. 26. Did the world as we know it come to an end? In a state where there is way too much racing and not nearly enough horses, wouldn't it be nice if the tracks could come together and come up with a schedule with many more dark days besides one Saturday in December? The time has come.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
