Jockey David Cohen (left) who rode Golden Ticket and Jockey Ramon Dominguez (right) who rode Alpha hold up the winning Travers trophy.SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - For the first time since 1874, a dead heat was the result of the $1 million Travers Stakes race at Saratoga Race Course.
In an electrifying finish, favored Alpha at 2-1 came back to hit the wire alongside 33-1 shot Golden Ticket Saturday afternoon to make history.
At the wire, neither jockey realized they had both won their first Travers.
"It was hard to say," jockey Ramon Dominguez, aboard Alpha said. "I don't think either [one of us] really knew. When we both
realized it was a dead heat, we were pretty relieved and pretty happy at the
same time."
Alpha and Golden Ticket completed the 1 ¼ miles in 2:02.74 in the first dead heat in the "Mid-Summer Derby" since 1874, when Attila and Acrobat finished in a tie, with Attila winning a run-off to be awarded the official victory.
The pair each received $400,000, with Alpha
increasing his lifetime earnings to $1,260,000 for Godolphin Racing and Golden
Ticket nearly quadrupling his to $536,035.
Travers Day was well attended at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday. Attendance totaled 46,528, an increase of 8.1 percent from 43,050 in 2011.
Watch the race replay here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUxRmRUB3kX-X-_9YsNFhq3g&feature=player_embedded&v=CqHU-WYjHWo
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