by Steve Wolf, senior director of racing operations, Pompano Park

Pompano Beach, FL — Harness driver Joe Pavia, Jr. tied a North American record for most dead heat win finishes on a single night on Tuesday (Feb. 10) at the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

A dead heat is when the photo finish camera cannot separate two or more horses as they cross the finish line for the purposes of an official order of finish.

Pompano Park photo

Joe Pavia, Jr.

Pavia, 48, of Coral Springs, started off the evening finishing in a dead heat for place (which does not count towards the record) with Esmeralda Semalu in the third race $16,000 Mares Open Pace. Lucy Lucy (Anthony Napolitano) won the race in 1:53.2 by a head with Esmeralda Semalu and Premier Elecktrah finishing in a dead heat for second place.

Then in the fifth race $4,400 pace, Pavia finished in a dead heat for win with Bilmar Diva against Eve (Anthony Napolitano) in 1:56.

Pavia came back again to the winner’s circle after finishing in a win dead heat in the seventh race $5,500 pace with Rosannette Stena. Riddles Bliss (Denis St. Pierre) was also in that photo in 1:55.4.

According to the United States Trotting Association (USTA), only eight other drivers since 1978 have ever finished in two dead heats for win on a single race program.

Pavia is also just the fifth driver since 1998 to be involved in three dead heat finishes on a single race program, joining Sylvio Fillion (1998), John Moody (2000), Brett Miller (2002) and Rick Plano (2005).