The race horse Sovereignty galloped to a commanding victory at Churchill Downs in the 151st Kentucky Derby, leaving the pre-race favorite, Journalism, to write its own race recap for near-miss glory.
Journalism, despite 3-1 odds and a compelling narrative leading up to the race, couldn’t quite craft the fairy-tale ending on the sloppy track. While Journalism wrote the lead early on, it was Sovereignty’s late burst, after trailing the majority of the race, that clinched the win for the underdog.
According to the Courier-Journal, all the horses who ran the race were descendants of the famed racehorse Secretariat. Sovereignty was sired by Into Mischief. A $2 bet on Sovereignty paid out $17.92.
Simulated reality? Metaphor of the year? End of fake news? Next race bet: Truth vs. algorithm? Never count on Journalism? The jokes can go on, and some stories just write themselves.