Next: The Secretariat-Affirmed Debate!

Another refugee to warmer climes from Johnstown, PA reacted to last week's column by noting that newspapers run "horse race" stories because they're more interesting to readers:

Newspapers run "horse race" stories because they are more interesting to the typical reader. After all, most fans would rather watch the two minutes the Kentucky Derby is actually run than watch the two hours leading up when they talk about training the horses and getting them ready to run and what might happen when the race starts. It's the way we're wired.

All too true. However, the newspapers then don't gripe that the horses are so focused on running the race that we never hear their views on jockey weights, track surfaces, grades of hay, or other important policy issues.