What is Ferrari? P.E.I. man wins Jeopardy by knowing the right question

It could have been a disastrous wager for Summerside native Jonathan Greenan, who appeared on Jeopardy Friday evening.

But luck was on his side.

Greenan emerged victorious after his first night on the long-running game show. He did so while betting almost all he had earned on Final Jeopardy,the last segment of the program.

He had climbed his way into first place before the final clue, but didn't play conservatively. He bid $13,001of his $14,200 purse.

"I wanted to bet enough to cover the returning champion, Emily, in case she bet everything," Greenansaid Saturday.

"I basically gamed it out and figured that I wanted to protect myself against the situation where if she bet everything and doubled her score, I would've bet enough to beat her by just one dollar."

Category, surnames

Contestants must place a bid after they know the subject, which in this case was surnames, but not before they know the clue.

"Evoking speed and luxury, this one of the 10 most common Italian surnames goes back to the Latin word for iron," said Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, a native of Sudbury, Ont., and an Order of Canada recipient.

All three contestants correctly guessed the question, "What is Ferrari?"

"My penmanship isn't great on Ferrari," said Greenan. "But that's because my hand was shaking so much because I knew I had won the game."

Greenan came out on top with a one-day total of $27,201, which wouldn't come close to purchasing a used Ferrari.

Waiting is the hardest part

The producers of Jeopardy forbid contestants to speak about the specifics of their appearance until after the episode has aired.

That would be difficult enough, given the episode was taped in August, but it was particularly difficult for Greenan.

"My Friday show was the last taping of my day and it just so happened that it was the last taping before a long scheduled break in tapings of about five or six weeks.

"I had to make a second trip down to California. So the time that I was back home on P.E.I. and actually the reigning Jeopardy champion that's when it was hardest."

Greenan said it's easier to keep the secrets now as the episodes are airing.

"I'm just going to enjoy the ride," he said.

His second episode, and first as defending champion, airs Monday.

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