HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 69 



daylight," (that is, a distance of twice the length of the horse 

 and sulky), between the head of one's horse and the wheel of 

 the other's sulky, before the attempt to pass can be made. 

 But in practice this well understood rule comes down to the 

 real law of the trotting turf that no driver shall pass another, 

 when, by so doing, he causes him to swerve from his course, or 

 in swinging in, impedes the stride of the horse passed. 



Dead Heat. A dead heat, according to trotting law, 

 is always counted, and is regarded as a heat that is undecided 

 only as between the horses making it ; and it is a heat that is 

 lost by all the other contending horses. The time made shall 

 be regarded a record or bar for the horses making the dead 

 heat ; and if for any other cause the heat is not awarded to 

 either of the leading horses it shall be awarded to the next 

 best horse, and no time shall be given out. By the National 

 rules when two or more horses make a dead heat, the remain- 

 ing horses start for the succeeding heat in the same j)ositions 

 with reference to the pole that they occupied at the finish of 

 the dead heat. By the American rules whenever two or more 

 horses have to their credit a sufficient number of dead heats, or 

 heats and dead heats to have terminated the race if such dead 

 heats had been won by either of them, only such horses shall 

 start in the next heat. By the laws of the Turf Congress 

 horses running a dead heat for a race, or place, shall be deemed 

 winners of the race or place until the dead heat is run off, or 

 the owners agree to divide ; and if the owners agree to divide, 

 each horse which divides shall be deemed a winner of the race 

 or place for which he divides. 



It is considered by many next to impossible tliat horses should mn a 

 dead heat, and, indeed, it seems as tliou,t;h there must be a sliglit 

 diflference between all horses in a close finish. — How to Train the 

 Racehorse, Col. R. Warburton. 



Dead Mouth. A dead, or non-sensitive mouth, is one 

 of the most disappointing faults that a horse can acquire. It 

 is generally occasioned by the horse, usually a tongue-loller, 

 carrying his tongue over the bit, w^hich produces that condi- 

 tion known as a dead mouth. 



Dead Track. A track or race-course having a hard sub- 

 grade and an unyielding surface. 



Rarus demonstrated his ability to pull a wagon in 2:15V2 over a track 

 that had just been made, and, in addition, was dead and damp 

 from late rains. — Life with Ihe Trotters, John Splan. 



Deciding" Heat. The last heat in a race ; a heat of a 

 race in which two or more heats have been performed, and 

 which determines the final result by the starters in that particu- 

 lar heat. By the racing rules there is no distance in a decid- 

 ing heat. 



