Triple dead heat for second at Hastings

A rare triple dead heat for second occurred in the last race at Hastings on Saturday.

Ruffy Joe ($5.40) won the $16,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up by 2 1/2 lengths, but the photo finish camera couldn’t separate the next three finishers, Payton’s Best, Steveston Lad, and Leo’s in the House. The largest of the six trifecta payouts, $44.70, had Payton’s Best second and Steveston Lad third.

Officials at Hastings are looking into the wagering on the seventh race, where $10,000 worth of win and place wagers on Hopeseeker were canceled just prior to the race being run. As the horses were being loaded into the starting gate, Hopeseeker, who was inexplicably heavily favored at 1-5, jumped up to 5-2 when $3,000 from each wager was canceled. When the race was over he was 5-1. He finished third. He was 5-1 on the morning line in a wide-open race that was won by Modern, who paid $8.90.

Modern was ridden by apprentice Corrine Andros who won four races on the eight-race card.