What is a “dead heat” in horse racing?

A dead heat means that two horses in a race tie for a placing, no matter where they finish. It’s possible to have a dead heat for seventh, for instance, though it would have no impact on the wagering.  

Finishes in a horse race were originally decided by the eyes of the judges and later with photography. But in recent years, high-definition cameras and technology allow the judges to separate horses by a few whiskers at the finish line.

But sometimes it’s still not possible to separate two finishers, in which case a dead heat is declared.

When that happens, affected betting pools are divided in half and distributed to backers of both horses.

You can wager on horse races online in these U.S. states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.