Hansen posted a three-length win in the $400,000 Gotham Stakes over the weekend, and in the process enhanced his credentials as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby. He did it with a white tail. That’s not a surprise, because the rest of Hansen is almost white, too, but it might have been a different story if the colt’s owner had gotten his wish.

Dr. Kendall Hansen, the Gotham winner’s namesake, wanted to dye Hansen’s mane and tail blue, maybe with just a bit of yellow, for the race. The color scheme would match the owner’s silks and Hansen (the human) thought the idea would generate some positive buzz for Hansen (the horse). What it generated was controversy, with people coming down on both sides of the really-tacky-or-really-clever fence