(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) Several social-media accounts on TikTok and Twitter sought to capitalize on the underdog success story of Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and his jockey, Brian Hernandez Jr., in what appeared to be a too-good-to-be-true swipe at President Joe Biden.
Unfortunately, that’s because it was.
Good for him. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/WUL9Z9n2Iy
— BRIAN FRASER (@bfraser747) May 8, 2024
The meme quickly endeared the affable Hernandez—a native of Louisiana’s Cajun country—to conservatives.
Its drole turn of phrase was appropriately suited to Biden’s notoriously brash temperament, as well as his physical appearance: “If I wanted to stare at a horse’s ass, I would have finished second.”
Immediately, however, it might have registered as suspicious to those in the know, considering the second- and third- place finishers in the derby—Sierra Leone and Forever Young, respectively—would not have had a view of Mystik Dan’s posterior.
“That’s not a comment from Brian,” Hernandez’s wife, Jamie, confirmed in a text message to Headline USA.
The story went viral after Saturday’s photo finish saw Mystik Dan literally win by a nose, with Hernandez using the inside track to his advantage.
The ENTIRE running of the 150th Kentucky Derby. 🌹 pic.twitter.com/rgntojtUNJ
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 5, 2024
With 20-to-1 odds going into the race, the duo’s win likely left a few big betters drowning their sorrows in a bottle of Woodford Reserve, while those who were particularly confident in odds-on favorite Fierceness (15th place) likely had to settle for the more economical Old Forester.
Mystik Dan’s victory appeared to have caught even his trainer, Kenny McPeek, by surprise, with questions abounding as to whether the horse had the stamina to pursue the highly coveted triple crown by competing in the upcoming Preakness and Belmont Stakes races.
Preakness, in Baltimore, takes place on May 18, meaning there would be just a two-week turnarond if he were to run.
Between the celebrations, the interviews and the tight training schedule, it would hardly be the time for Hernandez to foist himself into a contentious political debate, subjecting himself to vitriol of the leftist media and online trolls—not to mention the possibility of brick-wielding Antifa terrorists showing up in Louisville.
As for Mystik Dan—who was traveling to Saratoga, N.Y., this week to scout out the track where the Belmont race will be run in June—some speculated that the rose-winning colt might have time for a quick roll in the hay in Manhattan, where “Horseface” porn star Stormy Daniels was delivering her testimony Wednesday against former President Donald Trump.
Was he referring to Joe Biden, or Stormy Daniels?
— Mark Mervau (@MervauMark) May 9, 2024
Ben Sellers is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/realbensellers.
