The Importance of Being Unpredictable

This time of year our family happily geeks out on the Iditarod, that legendary 1,049-mile sled dog race from Willow to Nome. We tape a map on the fridge and follow our favorites — Lance Mackey, Ally Zirkle, our old neighbor Jim Lanier, and, this year, Jamaica's own cool-runner Newton Marshall.

This year's race has been completely great, with what looks to be a familiar ending. As of today, Mackey looks like he's set to win for a record fourth-straight time.

The interesting question is, how...