Dashboard Drummer having hard time

These are tough times for 8-year-old Dashboard Drummer, who has earned almost $500,000 in his 48-race career.

Dashboard Drummer, the winner of Monmouth Park's Grade 3 Sapling as a 2-year-old, extended his losing streak to 16 races when he finished fourth in Monday's sixth race at Philadelphia Park.

Despite dropping into a $5,000 claiming race for horses that haven't won in six months - Philly's softest conditions available for multiple winners - Dashboard Drummer finished fourth at 7-2. He hasn't won since taking an optional $75,000 claimer at Aqueduct in April 2007 or finished in the top three since placing second seven starts ago in a $10,000 claimer in New York.

Just two years ago, Dashboard Drummer was still good enough to finish second in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler and third in the Grade 2 True North, both contested in New York.

* A four-horse photo finish produced a double dead heat in Tuesday's second race.

In the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for $7,500 claimers, Nomoresurprises, ridden by Alex Cintron, hit the wire at the same moment as Lover Nekia and jockey Eriluis Vaz. The co-winners were just a neck in front of Blackfeet, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, and You Don't Listen, with Jose Flores aboard, who dead-heated for third.

* Longtime Philly Park announcer Keith Jones will be out of action indefinitely as the result of injuries he sustained when he was struck by a puck at a Philadelphia Phantoms minor league ice hockey game last week.

Jones suffered a broken jaw, lost several teeth, and needed more than 50 stitches. During his absence, Jones will be replaced by backup announcer Pat Cummings and Larry Lederman.