Wikipedia describes a dead-heat as a common expression used in horse racing and other sports to describe a tie. Obviously dead-heats on a racetrack are uncommon and happen only occasionally but at Monticello Raceway horses finished in a dead-heat on two consecutive racing programs which certainly a rarity.
Not that rare you might say? You could be correct ...but nevertheless dead-heats on two consecutive programs are unusual.
 |
| Angle of photograph aside, both Isn’t She Lovely and Townline Zebus finish simultaneously on Dec. 19. (Geri Schwarz Photo)
|
The first pair of dead-heat winners mentioned came in second race on Monday, December 19 when pacers Isn’t She Lovely and Townline Zebus came to the finish line simultaneously in a 2:00 clocking. Kyle DiBenedetto drove the forer while Bruce Aldrich, Jr. teamed the latter.
 |
It may appear that Go Lakers(#1) is ahead of Out To Kill A (#8) on Dec. 20 but that’s because the photographer is on an angle to the finish line (Geri Schwarz Photo) |
Then, on the next day, Tuesday, December 20, Out To Kill A got collared at the wire by Go Lakers and the judges couldn’t separate them so again, for the second time on successive days, a dead-heat was declared. Stephane Bouchard was up behind Out To Kill A and was on the front end the entire mile and after sitting a two-hole journey in mid-stretch Greg Merton snapped Go Lakers out from behind the leader and both pacers finished in a tie.
Of course there are rarer instances of dead-heat victories; like two dead-heats on the same program; or bothers finishing in a dead-heat. However circumstances like that call for a champagne toast.
Incidentally, the track record here for a dead-heat victory by pacers is 1:54.3 set when Lislea Phil (Brian Cross) and Hannah’s Delight (Jimmy Morrill, Jr.) finished together on August 27, 2007.
