A First in 38 Years: Spectacular Triple Dead Heat at Hippodrome Trois-Rivières
At 0h55, on July 10, 2026 • By Laurent Sauvé
Fans in attendance at Hippodrome Trois-Rivières on Thursday, July 9 witnessed one of the most spectacular and extraordinary finishes imaginable. The evening’s eighth race ended in a triple dead heat for the win, an exceptionally rare occurrence in harness racing.
After reviewing the photo finish, the judges were unable to separate Taylor Desbi (Pascal Bérubé, 5-2), Wicked Discovery (Jessica Turenne, 13-1) and Major Battle (Steven Genois, 8-1), with all three horses officially declared winners of the race, timed in 1:58.1.
The result was even more remarkable because the three dead-heat winners started from the first three post positions behind the starting gate—an extraordinary coincidence in itself.
As if the finish were not dramatic enough, the race favorite, The Turning Point, sent off at 4-5, also delivered an outstanding effort. However, he finished just half a length behind the three winners and had to settle for fourth place.
The last triple dead heat at Hippodrome Trois-Rivières occurred on May 2, 1988, when Jack Des Rivieres, Kingwood Tog, and H F Elaine crossed the finish line together. The July 9 result therefore ended a 38-year wait and marked only the second triple dead heat in the history of the racetrack.
On the North American stage, such a finish remains equally exceptional. The most recent triple dead heat in harness racing occurred on January 18, 2025, at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. On that evening, Stone Cold Savage, Woodrow F Call, and Spirit Of Truth finished in a three-way tie in the third race, marking the first triple dead heat in the Meadowlands’ 49-year history.
Dead heats involving two horses are already uncommon, but a triple dead heat is an exceptionally rare event that can only be declared after careful examination of the photo finish, when even today’s technology is unable to distinguish between the competitors.
As a result, July 9, 2026, will forever be remembered as one of the most extraordinary finishes in the history of Hippodrome Trois-Rivières. Not only did the race end a 38-year drought at the Quebec oval, but it also joins the very short list of triple dead heats recorded in North American harness racing over the past several decades.
