Double dead heat opens Friday card at Colonial Downs

Dead heats are rare enough, maybe like hitting for the cycle in baseball. A double dead heat could be like an unassisted triple play.

It happened Friday in the opener at Colonial Downs. Magic Wallet closed to catch Sometime at the finish line to share the win in the 5 1/2-furlong, main track race for 2-year-old maidens. The two first-time starters finished exactly 10 1/2 lengths ahead of Birdy Whisper and Smols, who crossed the wire simultaneously in third place.

Click here for Colonial Downs entries and results.

Sometime (5-1), a Maryland-bred Take Charge Indy colt who is trained by Mark Simms Jr. and was ridden by Axel Concepción, paid $5.60, $6.00 and $3.80. Magic Wallet (3-1), also a Maryland-bred colt, was sired by Divining Rod, is trained by Claudio González and was piloted by Víctor Carrasco. He returned $4.40, $8.60 and $6.00.

Birdy Whisper (11-1) and Smols (6-1), the only starter in the field of seven with prior racing experience, are stablemates trained by Carlos Múñoz. Birdy Whisper paid $4.00 and Smols $2.80 to show.

Secreto Uno (3-1), the post-time favorite, had nothing left in the tank down the stretch and settled for fifth. Sgt. García (7-2) and Avigliano (5-1) completed the finish in that order.

While double dead heats are not unheard of, finding previous examples is not as easy as a web search. One was located from July 1980 at Hollywood Park, where Bill Shoemaker rode Motivity, and Laffit Pincay Jr. piloted Prince O’ Dancers to a tie for the win. Pat Valenzuela on Fair Hunt and Fernando Toro on Tragic Bell shared third place.

Friday’s opener at Colonial Downs was pushed back about an hour to 5:02 p.m. EDT because of extreme afternoon heat in Virginia.