Sunrise County Placed Second for Fouling Admiral’s Voyage

by Joseph C. Nichols

The New York Times

Sunday, April 22, 1962

            It took considerably longer for the stewards to decide the winner of the $91,850 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct yesterday than it took to run the mile-and-an-eighth stakes.  The race ended in a dead heat, but resulted in a victory for Fred Hooper’s Admiral’s Voyage after Townsend Martin’s Sunrise County was moved down to second.

            The leaders of the field of eleven 3-year-olds covered the distance in 1:49 4/5.  But the stewards scrutinized the photograph of the finish for five minutes before admitting an inability to separate the first two.

            Further delay was added when Braulio Baeza, the Admiral’s jockey, claimed a foul against Willie Shoemaker, who rode the heavily favored Sunrise County.  That claim was upheld after nine minutes.

            Dead Heat Nullified

            Myron Davis, Francis Dunne, and Calvin Rainey, the stewards, decided that Baeza was right:  Admiral’s Voyage had suffered interference from Sunrise County, so they ordered a nullification of the dead heat.   The interference occurred around the first turn and again in the stretch.

            Admiral’s Voyage therefore earned the first money of $59,702 and Sunrise County had to be satisfied with  the $18,370 reward for the runner-up.  If the dead heat had been ruled official, each horse would have received $39,036, the division of first and second money.

            The exciting finish with its close competiton generated tenseness among the 55,458 fans who witnessed the first dead heat in the history of the Wood.  But it was not its first disqualification.  The first to finish in 1956, Golf Ace, was placed second to Heat Man.

            Those who had the foresight to anticipate a victory for Admiral’s Voyage collected $15.30 for $2.

            The fractional times of the race were 0.23 2/5, 0:47, 1:11 1/5, and 1:36 4/5.  The money wagered on the race was $761,649, and of that $295,000 was bet on Sunrise County, who went off at 11 to 10.

            The day’s total betting was $5,204,105, making it the third highest wagering day in the history of New York thoroughbred activity.  The record is $5,560,628, bet on Memorial Day, 1960.