Warning: This page contains spoilers for the January 9, 2025, game of Jeopardy! — please do not scroll down if you wish to avoid being spoiled. Please note that the game airs as early as noon Eastern in some U.S. television markets.
Here’s today’s Final Jeopardy (in the category Animals in Science) for Thursday, January 9, 2025 (Season 41, Game 89):
The first mammal species sent on a rocket to space, it’s perhaps more famous for an antigen in its blood
(correct response beneath the contestants)
Today’s Jeopardy! contestants:
Enzo Cunanan, a student from Orlando, Florida
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Sam Cameron, a finance manager from Fargo, North Dakota
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Drew Goins, a journalist from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
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Andy’s Pregame Thoughts:
After three more semifinals earlier this week, we are now onto the finals of Week 2 of Winter 2025’s Second Chance competition. After an extremely dominant performance in his semifinal on Monday, the prediction model is very much thinking that this is Drew Goins’s week to lose at this point. Playing against Tuesday’s winner Enzo Cunanan and Wednesday’s winner Sam Cameron, the prediction model is giving Drew a 50.5% chance of victory, compared to Sam’s 28.7% and Enzo’s 20.8%. Remember, as well, that today’s scores get added to tomorrow’s in order to determine the overall winner.
I do also need to point out that I do expect daytime pre-emptions today, due to coverage of Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
Also, my thoughts are going out to all affected by the wildfires in the Los Angeles area right now, and I sincerely hope that none of the show’s production staff or any of my readers have been affected by these fires.
(Content continues below)
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Correct response: What is a rhesus monkey?
More information about Final Jeopardy:
(The following write-up is original content and is copyright 2025 The Jeopardy! Fan. It may not be copied without linked attribution back to this page.)
In 1949, a rhesus monkey named Albert II flew aboard a V-2 rocket that travellled 134km in the air after being launched from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Unfortunately, Albert II died in a landing accident that day after a parachute failure, but had survived the entire flight.
The rhesus monkey, however, is most famous for giving its name to one of the proteins found on the outside of red blood cells, generally known as the Rh factor (or rhesus factor). It’s generally important because it causes health complications, most often during pregnancy, when an Rh negative person becomes pregnant with an Rh positive fetus.
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Game Recap & Tonight’s Game Stats:
Looking to find out who won Jeopardy! today? Here’s the Thursday, January 9, 2025 Jeopardy! by the numbers, along with a recap:
Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: World History; All Around The U.S.; Foia & Find Out; We Shall Endure; Movie Lines; “Dis” Is How You Say It)
Though there were a smattering of incorrect responses, all three players got off to a good start. At the interviews, the scores were Enzo $2,400 Sam $2,400 Drew $1,200.
Statistics at the first break (15 clues):
Enzo 5 correct 1 incorrect
Sam 3 correct 0 incorrect
Drew 5 correct 2 incorrect
Today’s interviews:
Enzo has been working on a novel about Henry VIII.
Sam wants to thank his mom for bringing over an old geography-learning toy.
Drew was recognized by people at the gym after his first appearance.
Sam was doing well, but missing a True Daily Double put him on the back foot.
Statistics after the Jeopardy round:
Enzo 9 correct 2 incorrect
Drew 10 correct 2 incorrect
Sam 7 correct 1 incorrect
Scores after the Jeopardy! Round:
Enzo $3,600
Drew $3,200
Sam $400
Double Jeopardy! Round:
(Categories: Word History; Literary Biography; All In The Family; Oceania; Fabrics & Textiles; Classic Tv)
Drew found DD2 and got it correct at the nick of time. Sam, in the negatives when he found DD3, bet an amount that wouldn’t get him out of the hole. That said, he got enough correct to get out of the hole by the end of the round, as Enzo led going into Final.
Statistics after Double Jeopardy:
Enzo 16 correct 4 incorrect
Drew 18 correct 3 incorrect
Sam 15 correct 3 incorrect
Total number of unplayed clues this season: 26 (0 today).
Scores going into Final:
Enzo $13,600
Drew $10,400
Sam $1,700
Sam and Enzo were correct in Final—yes, the rhesus monkey is a macaque—and Enzo has a big lead going into Day 2 tomorrow.
Tonight’s results:
Sam $1,700 + $1,700 = $3,400 (What is a rhesus monkey?)
Drew $10,400 – $5,400 = $5,000 (What is a mouse?)
Enzo $13,600 + $8,200 = $21,800 (What is a rhesus macaque?)
(Viewers are reminded that no winner has been declared yet; these scores are added to tomorrow’s.)
Other Miscellaneous Game Statistics:
Daily Double locations:
1) ALL AROUND THE U.S. $800 (clue #25)
Sam 3800 -3800 (Drew 2800 Enzo 4400)
2) WORD HISTORY $1600 (clue #7)
Drew 4400 +2800 (Sam 0 Enzo 2800)
3) CLASSIC TV $2000 (clue #21, $4800 left on board)
Sam -800 +100 (Drew 8800 Enzo 13200)
Overall Daily Double Efficiency for this game: -31
Clue Selection by Row, Before Daily Doubles Found:
J! Round:
Drew 4 5 3 5 2 2 1 3 2 3
Sam 3 4 3 4 5 2 4*
Enzo 5 4 1 5 3 4 2 1
DJ! Round:
Drew 4* 5† 4 4 5
Sam 3 4 5 2 3 3 4 5*
Enzo 3† 3 5 4 5 3 2 2
† – selection in same category as Daily Double
Average Row of Clue Selection, Before Daily Doubles Found:
Enzo 3.25
Drew 3.47
Sam 3.60
Unplayed clues:
J! Round: None!
DJ! Round: None!
Total Left On Board: $0
Number of clues left unrevealed this season: 26 (0.29 per episode average), 0 Daily Doubles
Game Stats:
Enzo $13,600 Coryat, 16 correct, 4 incorrect, 33.33% in first on buzzer (19/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 5 rebound opportunities)
Drew $9,200 Coryat, 18 correct, 3 incorrect, 35.09% in first on buzzer (20/57), 0/0 on rebound attempts (on 6 rebound opportunities)
Sam $7,400 Coryat, 15 correct, 3 incorrect, 26.32% in first on buzzer (15/57), 1/1 on rebound attempts (on 7 rebound opportunities)
Combined Coryat Score: $30,200
Lach Trash: $13,000 (on 10 Triple Stumpers)
Coryat lost to incorrect responses (less double-correct responses): $10,800
Lead Changes: 7
Times Tied: 5
Player Statistics:
Drew Goins, career statistics:
71 correct, 8 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 10 rebound opportunities)
40.35% in first on buzzer (69/171)
4/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $13,200)
1/3 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $17,533
Sam Cameron, career statistics:
56 correct, 10 incorrect
4/4 on rebound attempts (on 14 rebound opportunities)
30.99% in first on buzzer (53/171)
3/6 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: -$5,300)
2/3 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,867
Enzo Cunanan, career statistics:
53 correct, 10 incorrect
3/3 on rebound attempts (on 8 rebound opportunities)
30.99% in first on buzzer (53/171)
2/4 on Daily Doubles (Net Earned: $3,800)
3/3 in Final Jeopardy
Average Coryat: $14,733
Andy’s Thoughts:
- The prediction model believes Enzo has a 63% chance of winning at this point, Drew a 23% chance, and Sam a 14% chance. (Had Drew been correct in Final, it would have given Enzo a 49% chance, Drew 40%, and Sam 11%.)
- Due to the fact that tomorrow’s scores can be doubled in Final Jeopardy, Enzo’s “effective lead” is $8,400 over Drew and $9,200 over Sam.
- Today’s box score will be linked to when posted by the show.
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I should have known that. I guessed spider monkey which makes no sense given the blood portion of the clue.
After I read today’s FJ clue, my first thought in less than 5 seconds was the correct response; The Rhesus Monkey. I should give myself a gold star.
This is one the few finals for which I simply knew the correct response because of the blood factor tie in. Without that portion of the clue I would not have had a chance. For me, the question was “to what animal does rh antigen refer?”. To add to Andy’s summary, RH factor is also critical in blood-type matching for transfusions, as well as hemolytic disease complications of child birth. I am reminded I am overdue to donate.
Would “What is a monkey?”, been accepted as a correct answer, to FJ?
I’m not sure; the presence of the second part of the clue might mean they needed “rhesus”, because of the Rh factor.
Maybe a specific “species” is required. Or are a spider monkey and a rhesus monkey the same species?
I don’t think so. Monkey is an infraorder that comprises many different species.
I got this Final Jeopardy because of the precise wording of the answer clue.
“First mammal species to be sent into space on a rocket, it’s perhaps better known for the antigen in it’s bloodstream.”
A mammal, antigen in it’s bloodstream? That just screamed (what is a) Rhesus monkey to me. Although I didn’t know that the US had used a Rhesus monkey in space flight tests.
Seem to be on somewhat of a roll this week. Got Monday’s Final without fudging. Yesterday’s Final, if my saying “Homesteader,” instead of “Homestead,” was acceptible, the Finial from last nights Celebrity Jeopardy, now today’s.
Double Jeopardy and Final Jeopardy were preempted in Chicago due to ABC News Coverage of President Biden, and, Vice President Harris, visiting the Southern California wildfires, and, announcement of additional Federal disaster aid.
The first mammal in space was a dog named Laika on Sputnik 2 in 1957, not a monkey.
You’re incorrect. Laika was the first mammal in orbit.
“Entering orbit” is different from “entering space”.
I knew right away it was a Rhesus monkey, especially since I lost two siblings to the Rh Factor situation.
That was an easy one. I’m glad that both “monkey” and “macaque” have been accepted.
I nailed this immediately, but not due to the Rh Factor actually.
Thank you Andy for your thoughts about us out here in the LA area. I’m a few miles south of the Eaton Fire and my only problem was having no power from Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. to Wednesday at 9:15 p.m. This pales in comparison to the many unfortunate people that have lost their homes and their lives just north of me. I feel so badly for those people. 🙁
Glad to have you back, Jeff!
Thank you Lisa! 🙂