# Belmont Stakes question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 29, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081 "2018-05-29T18:57:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/1 "2018-05-29T18:57:26Z")
If the Belmont were to end in a dead heat (and Justify were one of the horses), would that still be considered a Triple Crown for Justify? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/2 "2018-05-29T20:46:31Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > If the Belmont were to end in a dead heat (and Justify were one of the horses), would that still be considered a Triple Crown for Justify? As a rule, I think that both horses who finish first in a dead heat are considered to be the (co-)winner. Given that, I would suspect that Justify would be considered to be a Triple Crown winner, though probably with an asterisk. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/3 "2018-05-30T13:58:37Z")
I’d say it would qualify. If two horses tie for first, they both get first place, and the third horse gets third place. I suspect the high-def photos would be looked at very closely to try and break the tie. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/4 "2018-05-30T14:07:43Z")
[**Dead Heats in Horse Racing**](http://www.bettingsites.co/articles/dead-heat-rules-what-happens-in-the-event-of-a-tie.html) > [@](#): > > In effect, because both horses finished first they share first place between them. This means that half your stake is settled as a winner, whilst half is settled as a loss. If there are more than two horses involved in the dead heat then the bet is split proportionately, such that in a three way dead heat one third is settled as a winner and you lose two thirds of your original stake. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/5 "2018-05-30T15:16:03Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > [**Dead Heats in Horse Racing**](http://www.bettingsites.co/articles/dead-heat-rules-what-happens-in-the-event-of-a-tie.html) So accordingly that horse would be both a triple crown winner and not at the same time, it would be Schrodinger’s horse 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/6 "2018-05-30T17:59:05Z")
Let’s not beat a dead horse ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belmont-stakes-question/815081/7 "2018-05-30T18:56:27Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > I’d say it would qualify. If two horses tie for first, they both get first place, and the third horse gets third place. I suspect the high-def photos would be looked at very closely to try and break the tie. Which is exactly what happened when a Breeders Cup Turf Classic race ended in a dead heat - they had multiple copies of a hi-def digital photo printed and reviewed before making the decision. > [@Jasmine](#): > > [**Dead Heats in Horse Racing**](http://www.bettingsites.co/articles/dead-heat-rules-what-happens-in-the-event-of-a-tie.html) In the pari-mutuel system, Win bets in a dead head are treated as if they were Place bets; each winning horse’s payout pool would consist of the money bet on the horse plus half of the money bet on the losing horses (after the “take,” of course). In countries that use bookies, payouts are cut in half - e.g. a 4-1 horse in a dead heat is paid off at 2-1. Total side note question: do they cut the bouquet of carnations in half as well?