User Reviews

This episode marks one of the last appearances of Tony Ballen, who had been acting in film and on television since 1964, and whose last three roles come in the "Murder, She Wrote" series. Ramon Bieri, Lonny Chapman and Norman Fell have also since passed.

Jockey Tracy Macgill (Linda Grovenor) receives a visit from the sister of her father, Martin Macgill, one Aunt Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), traveling en route from one California city to another, and stopping at Tracy's place of employ, Hybiscus Park horse racing track. (Its sign consists of script letters, which the camera swiftly pans, but it seems to read "Hybiscus Park" upon repeat viewings; the name of the race-track remains unspoken.)

Jockey Carlos Gallegos (Bert Rosario) is also on staff, but suffers severe indigestion on the day of the race, and so Trainer Jack Bowen (Lonny Chapman) assigns novice Jockey Tracy Macgill to ride champion race horse Anchors Ahoy, with the blessing of Carlos and his wife, Vicky Gallegos (Priscilla Barnes), a friend of Tracy, and to the enthusiasm of Aunt Jessica.

Couple Cliff Carpenter (Jack Carter) and Christine Carpenter (Carole Cook), superstitious about her betting, experience the action of the big race from box seats next to Jessica and Vickie, as they discuss betting strategies.

Behind the scenes, Jack Bowen has a run-in with Veternarian Mike Gann (Clu Gulager), while organized mobster Vince Shackman (Norman Fell) argues with his thugs and with Jack Bowen and with Security Chief Pat Phillips (Ramon Bieri), who has him evicted from the premises.

Groomer Cookie Milford (Derrel Maury) overhears a few of these altercations, but when he next encounters Jessica with Vickie on their way to the Infirmary, they discover a body in the stables.

Lieutenant Ted Misko (Roy Thinnes), a reformed gambler, who keeps track of his loses should he waste money on tickets, expresses disappointment when the horse which he picks comes in because he doesn't spend money on tickets.

Ted is assigned to investigate the murder, with Jessica interfering at every turn, because he arrests Tracy even though she was racing Anchors Ahoy in full view of the crowd at the time of the murder, perhaps the primary suspect because she is, of course, Jessica's relative. But the investigation shows clear signs that the race has been fixed, pointing fingers of suspicion back toward the unknowing Tracy.

Jessica continuously finding herself abducted and threatened by Bookies and henchmen and other suspects, which adds to Ted's stress level in this non-friendly environment of horse racing amid endangerment of a "Dead Heat" climax.

The cast is rounded out by Infirmary Nurse (Freddye Chapman), Security Guard (Joe Faust), Mr. P (Robert Ellenstein), Chief Steward (Don Matheson), Ernie, the Taxi Driver (Stu Gilliam), Another Ernie (Tom Dreesen), Guzmann the Bodyguard (Alex Rebar), Bookie #1 (Tony Ballen) and Bookie #2 (Richard Paradise).

Jessica arrives at a race to watch her niece Tracy take part in her first race. At the last minute experience jockey Carlos gets sick, prompting owner Jack Bowen to switch Tracy from an outsider to eventual winner Anchor's Ahoy. After the race celebrations groom Cookie alerts Jessica that Bowen is dead, Tracy is arrested.

It's a fun episode, definitely one of the lighter ones, it contains a superstitious comedy couple, a funny carrot scene, and of course Cookie's comedy wig. The story is a little messy, we go from gangsters to fixed races, it doesn't really hang together too well.

On the whole it's well acted, even the gangsters manage to be fairly restrained in their performances. It baffles belief how she has yet another niece in yet another county, but Linda Grosvenor is rather good as Tracy.

It's not a bad watch, it's just one I wouldn't seek out too often. 6/10

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

"Dead Heat" is a long way from a terrible episode, none of the 'Murder She Wrote' episodes were at this point in the show, but it has never done a huge amount for me and still doesn't. To me, it is a lesser episode of the early seasons while still having enough to partially recommend it. There are many things to like as well as some glaring flaws.

The episode looks good as one would expect from 'Murder She Wrote'. Not sweeping or epic grand in a show that doesn't call for it, but representative of cosy nostalgia and slick style that is very attractive to see and perfect for gentle afternoon/evening television. It's very nicely shot with some nice scenery and attractive, nostalgia-inducing fashions. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

The writing is tight, thought-provoking and typically amiable, the final solution and how Jessica gets to it are fun enough and most of the cast are fine. Angela Lansbury is her usual terrific self, while Linda Grovenor plays one of the better acted more charming numerous relatives that Jessica has and Carole Cook and Jack Carter class things up a lot.

However, the story itself is not always easy to follow and this would have been solved if it tried to do less and slowed down, parts did feel rushed and over-stuffed.

It's the very amateurish performance of Priscilla Barnes that most brings "Dead Heat" down though, the awfulness of her acting has to be seen to be believed and make one's jaw drop to the floor, one of the few performances of the earlier seasons that screams of amateur hour.

Overall, not awful, not great, just a slightly above-average okay. 6/10 Bethany Cox

For about the fourth or fifth time so far in the series, one of Jessica's nieces shows up and is somehow embroiled in a murder investigation! And, in pretty much each case, the innocent niece is accused of killing someone.

Here in "Dead Heat", Jessica stops by the racetrack to see her niece, Tracy, who happens to be a jockey. And, although Tracy isn't scheduled to ride that day, last minute illness enables her to ride a horse. So how does all this end up with a murder and the niece being accused? See the show and find out for yourself.

This was not one of the more difficult murders to figure out and I think my realizing the killer early on isn't because I am a genius! But in spite of this, it's still very entertaining and worth seeing. I just don't think Jessica should EVER visit any of her nieces or nephews again!

Jessica stops by the racetrack on her way to San Francisco to cheer on her niece Tracy, a jockey-in-training. Unexpectedly, Tracy receives a massive piece of good luck when Jack Bowen, the owner of Anchors Ahoy, chooses her as a last-minute replacement for his sick jockey. However, the sweet taste of victory quickly turns sour when she's accused first of conspiracy to fix the race and then of involvement in the death of Anchors' owner.

Jessica visits one of her many nieces and guess what? She's accused of "icing" her boss, the owner of the racing horse. She goes through each suspect - it's a nice steady episode with a nice horse racing back ground and a good complication of subjects.

I looked at old photos for Hollywood Park racetrack and I believe that's where it was filmed. Unfortunately the park was torn down in 2014 to make way for SoFi stadium. There was a scene that showed the lake in the middle and parking lot on the opposite side of the grandstand stands. The shape of the lake in the middle is the same as the older photos. In the scene where Jessica gets into the cab with the two men, in the cab's back window you can see the horse statue (the horse is Swaps with Willie Shoemaker atop) that was in front of the park. I hope that there is someone that could confirm the location for us.

Though Jessica Fletcher and her husband never had any kids, she seems to be finding nieces and nephews all over the USA besides Michael Horton who appears every so often.

In this story Linda Grovenor is the Fletcher niece and the story is set at a racetrack and she's an aspiring jockey. Female jockeys were still something of a novelty back in 1985.

In any event Grovenor gets a last minute mount from trainer Lonny Chapman with some dubious instructions that don't seem right to her given this horse. She wins the race but then Chapman is killed with a tranquilizer syringe and she's looking good for it. But no way a Fletcher relation is guilty.

Gamblers both recreational and serious are all over this story. Norman Fell is a syndicate middleman while Carol Cook and Jack Carter are a husband and wife team of loony bettors.

The story was a bit incoherent, this wasn't the best episode, but fans will like it.