Just How Common Is a Dead Heat Finish?
Contributed By Post Time PetePosted on 9/3/12 7:16 PM
The recent dead heat finish between Alpha and Golden Ticket in the Travers stakes got me thinking. I could remember the last time I had seen a dead heat finish, at least not in any stakes race. Dead heat's are rare, but not uncommon, certainly. On any given day here in the United States and around the world, there are literally hundreds of races occurring. How often does this feat occur?
Thanks to Wikipedia, horse racing fans from around the world have compiled a nice list of dead heat finishes. The full list is below, but here are some of the more interesting ones with photos:
Travers Stakes
Date: August 25, 2012
Race Track: Saratoga Race Course
Who: Alpha, Golden Ticket
The 1874 Travers also ended in a dead heat, but Attila was declared the official winner after a runoff with Acrobat, making this the only Travers Stakes to officially end in a dead heat.
Hotham Handicap (now the Lexus Stakes)
Date: November 3, 1956
Race Track: Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia
Who: Fighting Force, Ark Royal and Pandie Sun
No triple dead-heat had been recorded since the introduction of photo finishes in Australia 10 years earlier, in 1946.
Date: October 3, 1953
Race Track: Freehold Raceway
Who: Patchover, Payne Hall and Penny Maid
"One of the most exciting records was set on October 3, 1956. On that day, three horses - Patchover (#4), Penny Maid (#5), and Payne Hall (#7) - hit the finish line simulatenously, producing the first triple dead heat in harness racing history.
Carter Handicap
Date: June 10, 1944
Race Track: Aqueduct Racetrack
Who: Brownie, Bossuet and Wait A Bit
No triple dead-heat had been recorded since the introduction of photo finishes in Australia 10 years earlier, in 1946.
Here is a more complete list of dead heat finishes throughout horse racing history:
- May 15, 1828 - Epsom Derby, between Cadland and The Colonel. Cadland won in a deciding heat.
- September 17, 1850 - St. Leger Stakes, between Voltigeur and Russborough. Voltigeur won in a deciding heat.
- May 28, 1884 - Epsom Derby, between Harvester and St. Gatien.
- July 5, 1926 - the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack: double dead heat between Macaw, owned by Harry Payne Whitney and Nedana, owned by the Rancous stable.
- June 10, 1944 - the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack: triple dead heat between Brownie, Bossuet and Wait A Bit, the first triple dead heat in a stakes race.
- October 3, 1953 - the first triple dead heat in harness racing occurred when Patchover, Payne Hall and Penny Maid dead-heated for a win at Freehold Raceway.
- November 3, 1956 - triple dead-heat between Fighting Force, Ark Royal and Pandie Sun in the Hotham Handicap at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia
- July 3, 1957 - the first triple dead-heat for win at Hollywood Park Racetrack involved Joe's Pleasure (George Taniguchi), Challenger Tom (Bill Shoemaker) and Leaful (William Harmatz)
- November 27, 1957 - Flaxey Dream, Great Knight and Navy Song finish in a triple dead heat for win at Roosevelt Raceway in New York.
- December 27, 1957 - At Westport Trotting Club, New Zealand, a triple dead heat was adjudged from the photo finish print.
- October 14, 1970 - Arnold Gem, Banjo Phil, and Bervaldo triple dead heat for a win at Windsor Raceway in Ontario.
- August 12, 1972 - The Adios Stakes at The Meadows Race Track has a dead heat finish of Jay Time and Strike Out
- 1977 Aintree Hurdle - Monksfield and Night Nurse
- May 2, 1988 - Jack Des Rivieres, Kingwood Tog and H F Elaine triple-dead heat for a win at Hippodrome Trois Rivieres. This is the 15th triple-dead heat for a win in harness racing history.
- 1989 Hambletonian Race-off - Park Avenue Joe and Probe
- 1995 Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup - between Makarpura Star and Survey King, both trained by John Moore
- 2003 Breeders' Cup Turf - between High Chaparral and Johar
- 2004 Dubai Duty Free Stakes - Right Approach and Paolini
- 2004 Doncaster Cup - Millenary and Kasthari
- April 8, 2006 - During an eleven-race program at Aqueduct Racetrack that included the Wood Memorial Stakes, dead heats for each of the three "money" positions (Win, Place and Show) occurred in three separate races. Saint Anddan and Criminal Mind dead-heated for Place in race 5, Naragansett and Emotrin dead-heated for Show in race 6, and Karakorum Tuxedo and Megatrend dead-heated for Win in race 10.
- March 2009 - Tsm Goldenridge, Serious Damage and Teen Elvis at The Meadows became the 25th overall to triple dead heat in harness racing history.
- May 23, 2010 - 71st Yushun Himba at Tokyo Racecourse, a Japanese Classic horse race that is part of the Japanese Triple Tiara (the Triple Crown for fillies) and is commonly known as the Japanese Oaks. Apapane(also the winner of Oka Sho) and Saint Emilion hit the wire at the same time in the race, the first time that a Japanese Grade I race has resulted in a dead heat for the win.[12][13] Apapane would win the Shuka Sho to complete her triple crown.
- April 17, 2011 - The Maharaja Harisinghji Trophy (Gr.3) at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai witnessed a dead heat between two horses when SPRINT STAR and MISSCHIEVOUS TROT dead heated for win. It was the first time in the history of Indian Horse racing that a dead heat had been witnessed in a graded race. The odds were 17/4 and 18/1 respectively.
- July 16, 2011 - Cambina and Nereid were dead-heat winners in the Grade 1 $250,000 American Oaks at Hollywood Park.
- September 10, 2011 - The Irish St. Leger, between Duncan and Jukebox Jury.
- August 25, 2012 - The Travers Stakes, between Alpha and Golden Ticket.
Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dead_heat_horse_races
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