Gulfstream Park has had several photo finishes in the stakes season, but did not have a stakes dead heat until Sunday with Delightful Mary and R Holiday Mood in the $60,000 Ocala Stakes.

R Holiday Mood was leading near the rail before Delightful Mary came even with her in the final strides of the one-mile dirt stakes for Florida-bred fillies and mares.

“I thought she got up,” said Mark Casse, the trainer of Delightful Mary. “I don’t think she saw that other horse [R Holiday Mood] down on the inside.”

Todd Pletcher, R Holiday Mood’s trainer, was not optimistic while waiting for judges to review the photo.

“When they crossed the wire, I thought she got beat,” Pletcher said in the winner’s circle.

Delightful Mary, ridden by Luis Contreras, and R Holiday Mood, ridden by John Velazquez, were timed in 1:37.25 and both will be credited with a victory.

All Due Respect, the 4-5 favorite, finished a length behind in third. She won the Ocala last year in 1:36.01.

Delightful Mary and R Holiday Mood, a pair of 4-year-olds, each won a stakes race last year.

But bettors made R Holiday Mood 12-1 and Delightful Mary 6-1 in a field with several more experienced stakes winners.

R Holiday Mood led most of the race with All Due Respect tracking her on the outside. R Holiday Mood was a half-length in front of All Due Respect, with Delightful Mary rallying in third, after three-quarters-of-a-mile in 1:11.10.

Contreras then guided Delightful Mary outside for her stretch run.

Casse said he might run Delightful Mary in the $300,000 Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff at 11/8 miles on Jan. 28.

Even after R Holiday Mood’s strong mile race, Pletcher said “I think she’s best at six or seven furlongs.”

Other races

Pletcher did not have to wait out a photo with 3-year-old Star Channel, his other winner on Sunday.

Star Channel won for the second time in Gulfstream’s meet, leading almost the entire race and beating Africanist by a length in a 11/16 mile turf allowance.

Margano, the 8-5 favorite, finished seventh in the nine-horse field. He is a full brother of Barbaro, who won the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby in 2006.

Pletcher leads trainers with 18 wins, as he seeks his ninth consecutive Gulfstream training title. Nick Canani is second with eight victories.

Javier Castellano rode Star Channel and had two other winners on Sunday. He leads Gulfstream jockeys with 27 victories.

Paco Lopez is second with 22, and is seeking his third consecutive Gulfstream jockey title.