In this case, those two minutes were followed by several more minutes of uncertainty as judges studied a photograph of the race's conclusion, the first time since 1996 that such a move has been necessary. When the ruling came down — Mystik Dan by a nose — the crowd erupted. The 18-1 shot had bested Sierra Leone (9-2) and Forever Young (7-1).
To see those three thoroughbreds thundering to the finish line, looking for all the world like a single unit, was to see grace in motion.
(A 1953 photo finish of the first triple dead heat in harness racing. Photo: Wikipedia)