Laurel Park officials had to be light on their feet Saturday when an error in the initial order of finish for race seven went official, affecting the payout on the superfecta.

In the seventh race, Cadet Corps and Inveigled fought it out to the wire for first and second, well clear of the rest. Three horses were fighting it out for third, fourth, and fifth, with the late-running Armando R finishing third, a neck ahead of Cap Com and Be Better, who were noses apart.

Three placing judges determine the order of finish and report it to the stewards, who ultimately declare the race official.

In this case the numbers came up and quickly went official: 3-7-5-6. The $1 superfecta payout in that order was $164.10.

But that was wrong: #1, Cap Com, had actually finished a nose ahead of #6, Be Better.

That the order of finish was wrong quickly became apparent. How to handle it, however, was less clear; once the race went official, bettors were able to start cashing their tickets.

The stewards huddled behind closed doors with the placing judges and with Maryland Jockey Club Senior Vice President of Wagering and Simulcast Tim Luzius to determine a course of action.

In the end, they decided to correct the official order to 3-7-5-1. The $1 superfecta with the correct order was $169.70.

Once the official order was altered, the super paid only to 3-7-5-1. As a result, some people with the 3-7-5-6 super briefly thought that they were winners but ultimately were not; and some with 3-7-5-1 may have tossed winning tickets. Those who had already cashed their 3-7-5-6 tickets retain their winnings. An email from TMJC to its simulcast partners explaining the change went out at 4:01, 44 minutes after the race went off.

“Right now it’s priced correctly, and that’s ultimately what we have to do,” Luzius said.

Chief state steward Adam Campola said that he couldn’t remember a similar problem arising in his 25 years on the administrative side of racing. But Luzius said that, while unfortunate, such problems do occur. In fact, earlier in the day, Gulfstream Park had initially posted – and made official – an incorrect order in its third race.