The Final Jeopardy question (10/29/2012) in the category “Mammals” was:

Ancient Romans knew this animal featured in their circuses as a hippotigris.

3-day champ Keith Whitener won a total of $66,399 last week, and he’s back today to take on two new players: John-Clark Levin, from Ojai, CA and  Anne Fierro, from Fort Lee, NJ.

Keith found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double before the first commercial break in “2-Letter Responses.” He was in second place with $800, $200 behind John-Clark in the lead. He bet $1,000 and he was RIGHT.

These 2 letters & a number indicate the concentration of hydogen ions in a solution. show

WHAT IS P-H?

Keith finished in the lead with $7,000. John-Clark was second with $5,000 and Anne was last with $1,800.

Keith found the first Double Jeopardy Daily Double in “Civil War Names.” He was getting some close competition today from John-Clark, but with $11,400, Keith still had a $3,600 lead. He bet $4,000, took a guess with Sherman and that was WRONG.

Gen. Bee’s comment about this man may not have been a compliment of steadfastness but a complaint about a lack of support. show

WHO IS STONEWALL JACKSON?

Keith then immediately found the last Daily Double in “Art & Mythology.” He was in second place now with $7,400, $400 less than John-Clark in the lead. He bet $5,000. He did not know and guessed Europa, at the same time the buzzer went off. That was WRONG anyway.

In a painting by Cezanne, she’s cozying up to a swan. show

WHO IS LEDA?

John-Clark finished in the lead with $13,800. Keith was next with a very respectable $10,800 and Anne was in third place with $6,600.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS A ZEBRA?

“Although the zebra only became known to the modern world after the Portuguese had established their factories on the coast of Congo and Angola, it seems certain that this animal was known to the Romans, for it can hardly be doubted that the Hippotigris slaughtered in the amphitheatre at Rome in the Reign of Caracalla (A.D. 212-217), in the company with an elephant, a rhinocerous and a tiger, was one of the striped African asses.” (<The Origin and Influence of the Thoroughbred Horse)

Anne thought it was the elephant. That cost her $6,599 and she finished with $1.00.

Keith got it right, bet $10,799 and finished with $21,599.

John-Clark thought it was the rhino. That cost him $13,698 so he ended up with $102.

So, despite those two back-to-back Daily Double disasters, Keith managed to pull off his 4th victory. His 4-day total is $87,998. Awesome work, dude!