Orange horse bad! Trump digs into Kentucky Derby scandal that was somehow compared to 2016 election
President Donald Trump has weighed in on a horse racing scandal at the Kentucky Derby, after Twitter complained that a decision granting victory to a second-placed horse had a lot in common with the 2016 election. Really.
“The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby – not even close!”
The Kentucky Derby decision was not a good one. It was a rough & tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019
Although described by the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson as “decadent and depraved,” the Kentucky Derby has not, until now, been a target for politicization. That all changed on Sunday when Maximum Security, the winner of the Derby, was disqualified, and Country House, a 65-1 long shot, was awarded victory.
Maximum Security, race officials said, had unfairly impeded other horses and as a result became the first to be disqualified in the event’s 145-year history.
Twitter being Twitter, it didn’t take long for commenters to make the issue all about Donald Trump. Country House won the race despite coming second, they argued, much like Trump won the 2016 election despite losing the overall popular vote.
The winner of the competition was ruled to have cheated, thereby nullifying the result and giving the runner-up the victory. So, can we apply the same standard used for the #KentuckyDerby to the 2016 presidential election?Asking for 7+ billion friends... pic.twitter.com/ep0H5Ry41T
— Snitty Trevor (@TPVTrevor) May 4, 2019
The #KentuckyDerby is like your presidency: full of slop and with an illegitimate winner.... #Trump
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) May 5, 2019
Country House’s distinctly orange coloring only furthered their argument.
‘The orange haired horse that came in second was declared the winner’: #KentuckyDerby ended just like 2016 election https://t.co/XL9Mbr3kz9
— R Joseph (@rjoseph7777) May 5, 2019
As Twitter bickered, the owners of the racetrack – Louisville’s Churchill Downs – laughed all the way to the bank. Although horse racing is declining in popularity across America, Derby day still nets the track roughly $180 million every year, while bookmakers took in a whopping $228 million last year.
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