For just the second time in track history, there was a triple dead heat for win on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway.
The three-way tie came in the evening’s $18,000 featured Open Pace and was the result of a scramble in the stretch. Longshot Spinarama (Austin Siegelman) was parked to the half in :53.2 over a 'sloppy' track and, despite racing overland throughout lap one, dug in and drew clear midway through the stretch. The 12-1 shot Spinarama was then met with challenges of rivals Panocchio (Gerry Mattison) and Burkentine Hanover (Stephane Bouchard). The three top flight pacers hit the wire at the same time in 1:52.2 and the race was declared a three-way dead heat.
Spinarama, undaunted by his tough journey in the feature, earned his fourth win of the season in the Open. For Panocchio, it was victory number five in the Saturday feature this year while Burkentine Hanover got his picture taken for the second straight week after scoring in the local Open for the first time last Saturday night.
The only other three-way dead heat to occur at Saratoga came on a President’s Day matinee card in 2008 when three trotters hit the line at the same time in the afternoon’s finale.
(Saratoga Raceway)