Photo malfunction prompts dead heat at Parx

BENSALEM, Pa. - The first race at Parx on Sunday was ruled a dead heat after the photo-finish camera malfunctioned, according to track officials. The outcome of the race has since been appealed to the Pennsylvania Racing Commission by the connections of one of the horses involved.

Promise the Sky and Joywave battled the final five-sixteenths in the mile and 70-yard race for nonwinners-of-two $7,500 claimers, with Joywave on the inside. The two horses hit the wire in a head-bobbing finish.

Because of the photo-finish malfunction, the stewards did not have a clear image of the finish on which to base their decision and, after a lengthy delay, ruled the race be deemed a dead heat.

Announcer Keith Jones, during his race call, said it appeared Promise the Sky had won the bob, and the Equibase chart footnote said the same thing. It should be noted neither Jones's booth nor the pan camera is located directly on the finish line like the photo-finish camera.

The connections of Promise the Sky, Hibiscus Stables and trainer Steve Klesaris, believe their horse won the race and have appealed the stewards' decision.

Joywave is owned by David Jacobson and trained by Mertkan Kantarmaci

Promise the Sky, who went off at 7-10, paid $2.40. Joywave, 8-1, paid $5.40. Both horses earned $7,800 from the $20,750 purse.

The photo-finish camera functioned properly in all other races on the card.