By: Robert J. Terry

And so we are left, 24 hours after he was unleashed, to ponder Kegasus.

The half-man, half-horse centaur, the manimal who rips holes in the fabric of awesomeness, has undoubtedly done what Preakness InfieldFest organizers wanted — generated buzz.

And any buzz (pardon the pun) is good buzz, I suppose, if your intent is to cut through the clutter of today’s media landscape. If Charlie Sheen has taught us anything, it’s that it helps to be outlandish when you’re screaming for attention in a multi-platform world.

And who needs tiger blood and Adonis DNA when you have four hooves, a beer gut and a nipple ring? Winning.

That said, what do we make of Kegasus — who reminds me of Gibby Haynes — strictly as a marketing vehicle, mythical or otherwise?

As this story in the Sun points out, it does speak to what most consider to be the Preakness infield’s key demographic. Think dudes in their 20s who wouldn’t know a furlong from a beer bong and no doubt long for the days of “The Running of the Urinals” at Pimlico.

One interesting thing I read is the notion of the ad creating “social capital” on Facebook. My Facebook feed was filled with Kegasus references last night, and I don’t exactly run with a Tosh.0 crowd. WNST has more on the social media aspects of the campaign.

I’m also intrigued by the chutzpah it takes to sign off on this type of ad campaign at the same time you’re imploring Maryland lawmakers to prop up your ailing industry. Maryland Jockey Club President Tom Chuckas told the Sun Kegasus was just the kind of mascot the Preakness needs to bring out the infield party contingent.

It all almost makes “Get Your Preak On” seem tame.

Last year, Preakness organizers combined an all-you-can-drink promotion with concerts, beach volleyball and other entertainment. The idea was to create a festival atmosphere that would balance the infield’s party reputation with a desire for a minimum level of decorum.

Now Kegasus. This seems like a step back, if not a hugely mixed message to send. Tell us what you think here, in our poll.

Elevation Ltd., the advertising firm retained by the Maryland Jockey Club to create the campaign, would apparently rather chillax in its man stall, since they’ve reportedly been hard to reach. There was this statement:

“We are honored to once again work hand-in-hand with the Maryland Jockey Club to create a campaign that galvanizes our target audience and brings excitement to this legendary event,” Jim Learned, the president of Elevation, said.

Washington City Paper’s Dave McKenna, who’s forgotten more about horse racing than I’ll ever know, seems to sign off on Kegasus, in a backhanded way. The Jockey Club, he writes, “is evidencing supreme self-awareness in the marketing campaign for the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes.”

I really only have one question for Elevation, and I think it’s a timely one with Opening Day right around the corner.

Was Alex Rodriguez retained as a creative consultant?