NEW KENT — One of horse racing’s rarest results occurred on Friday at Colonial Downs Racetrack as the day’s first race featured a “double dead heat” with a tie for first and a tie for third.
According to the racetrack, while dead heats occur a few times per year around the world, the double-dead heat is considered extraordinarily rare, especially since the introduction of photo-finish technology. Since 1990, records show only 15 double dead heats for first and third over more than 2 million races run throughout North America.
“I’ve been in the racing business for more than 20 years and this was definitely a first for me,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing at Colonial Downs. “It just speaks to the kind of excitement and competition fans will find on every race day here at Colonial.”
According to the track, in Friday’s first race, a $70,000 “maiden special,” Magic Wallet, ridden by Victor Carrasco, and Sometime, ridden by Axel Concepcion, each finished in 1:04:59 to tie for the win, while Birdy Whisper, ridden by Johan Rosado, and Smols, ridden by Gavin Ashton, finished in 1:06:34 to tie for show, or third place. Birdy Whisper and Smols are stablemates with a common owner and trainer, Carlos Munoz of CM Thoroughbreds, it added.
The result produced a complicated outcome for bettors, the facility said, with payouts for two winners, two different exacta results (picking first and second), four different exacta results (picking first, second, and third), and four different superfecta results (picking first, second, third, and fourth).
Colonial Downs is currently preparing for its Aug. 9 Festival of Racing, which it says will be the biggest day of racing in Virginia history with more than $2.5 million in prize money up for grabs. Tickets are available at ColonialDowns.com, including $5 general admission.
Racing continues at Colonial Downs each Wednesday through Saturday until Sept. 13, with a special race card on Labor Day.
