810 KAR 1:005. Racing officials

      Section 1. Definition. "Racing official" means those persons serving as steward, racing secretary, assistant racing secretary, clerk of scales, paddock judge, starter, patrol judge, placing judge, timer, identifier, and veterinarian.

 

      Section 2. Racing Officials. (1) Persons appointed by the association to serve as racing officials during a race meeting shall first be approved by the commission, shall serve only so long as approved by the commission, and shall be under the supervision of the stewards.

      (2) A person while serving as a racing official, or as an assistant starter, jockey room custodian, jockey room employee, valet, or outrider, shall not:

      (a) Indirectly or directly, own a beneficial interest in a thoroughbred, jockey contract, or association under his supervision;

      (b) Cause to be bought or sold, for himself or another, any thoroughbred under his supervision;

      (c) Buy or sell, for himself or another, any right to or in a contract with a jockey or apprentice jockey under his supervision;

      (d) Wager on any race under his supervision; and

      (e) Write or solicit horse insurance or have any monetary interest in any business which seeks the patronage of horsemen or racing associations.

      (3) Any racing official serving in the capacity of steward, placing or patrol judge, clerk of scales, starter, or horse identifier shall take and satisfactorily pass an optical examination within one (1) year prior to the race meeting at which he serves. The examination shall show corrected twenty-twenty (20-20) vision and an ability to distinguish colors correctly.

      (4) Any racing official who desires to leave his employment during the race meeting shall first obtain permission from the commission; if a vacancy occurs among racing officials other than stewards, the association shall promptly appoint a successor, subject to approval of the commission. If the association does not appoint a successor in time to permit the orderly conduct of racing, then the stewards shall immediately appoint a temporary successor.

 

      Section 3. Racing Secretary. The racing secretary shall be responsible for the programming of races during the race meeting, compiling and publishing condition books, assigning weights for handicap races, and shall receive all entries, subscriptions, declarations, and scratches. The racing secretary and his staff shall be responsible for:

      (1) Safekeeping of registration certificates and racing permits for horses, recording information required on the certificates and permits, and returning the certificates and permits to owners at the conclusion of the race meeting;

      (2) Maintaining a record of all stakes fees received, and all arrears, jockeys' fees, purchase money in claiming races, and all other monies received incident to the race meeting, and making available payment to those persons entitled thereto within fourteen (14) days after the conclusion of the race meeting;

      (3) Supervision of the horsemen's bookkeeper’s handling of the "horseman's account;"

      (4) Daily posting of entries for the benefit of the public as soon as possible after entries have been closed and declarations have been made;

      (5) Assigning stall applicants stabling as he may deem proper after consultation with the stewards, and maintaining a record of arrival and departure of all horses stabled on association grounds; and

      (6) Publishing the official daily program, and ensuring that it contains accurate information of the following:

      (a) Sequence of races to be run and post time for the first race;

      (b) Purse, conditions, and distance for each race, and current track record for the distance;

      (c) The full name of licensed owners of each horse, indicated as leased if applicable, and description of racing colors to be carried;

      (d) The full name of the trainer and the full name of the jockey named for each horse together with the weight to be carried;

      (e) A notice shall be included in the daily program that all jockeys will carry approximately three (3) pounds more than the published weight to account for safety helmets and safety vests that is not included in required weighing out procedures. A notice shall also be published that, upon approval of the stewards, a jockey may be allowed up to three (3) pounds additional clothing and equipment for inclement weather or track conditions;

      (f) The saddle cloth number or designation for each horse, and the post position for each horse, if there is a variance with the saddle cloth designation;

      (g) Identification of each horse by name, color, sex, age, sire and dam; and

      (h) Other information as may be requested from time to time by the association or the commission including but not limited to changes of equipment, use of permitted race day medications, and wagering types available.

 

      Section 4. Clerk of Scales. One (1) racing official shall serve as clerk of scales who shall be responsible for the security, regulation, and control of the jockeys’ room, its equipment, and which personnel is permitted access. The clerk of scales shall be responsible for:

      (1) Weighing out every jockey no later than fifteen (15) minutes prior to the race in which the jockey is scheduled to ride and recording all overweights, which shall immediately be posted and announced to the public before each race;

      (2) Weighing in every jockey immediately after the finish of each race in which a jockey rode and promptly notifying the stewards whether any jockey weighed in underweight;

      (3) Safekeeping of all racing colors;

      (4) Reporting all color changes or jockey changes from that listed in the official daily program and causing the changes to be posted and announced to the public before each race;

      (5) Supervision of all valets and the issuance of numbered saddle cloths and equipment for each horse;

      (6) Accuracy of the scales and periodic tests of them;

      (7) Submitting to the racing secretary at the close of each racing day a statement of weight carried in each race by each jockey, noting overweight, if any; and

      (8) Immediately transmitting all complaints, protests, objections, or disputes submitted to the clerk of scales to the stewards, and if the stewards are unavailable, to the commission.

 

      Section 5. Paddock Judge. One (1) racing official shall serve as paddock judge who shall have general supervision of the paddock. The paddock judge shall be responsible for:

      (1) Assembling the horses and jockeys in the paddock no later than fifteen (15) minutes before the scheduled post time for each race;

      (2) Maintaining a written record of all equipment for each horse saddled, inspecting all the equipment, and reporting any changes in the equipment to the stewards;

      (3) Inspecting the bandages of each horse. The paddock judge may order the bandages removed or replaced;

      (4) Paddock schooling of all horses approved for schooling by the stewards; and

      (5) Ensuring that the saddling of all horses is orderly, open to public view and free from interference, and ensuring that horses are mounted at the same time and leave the paddock for the post in proper sequence.

 

      Section 6. Starter. (1) The starter shall be responsible for the fair and equal start of all horses in a race at the scheduled starting time by means of a starting gate and bell, or other device activated by his signal. So far as practical, the starter shall cause all horses to be loaded in order of post position, except the starter may in his discretion load an unruly or fractious horse out of order or may start the unruly or fractious horse on the outside of the starting gate and one (1) length behind the starting line. By permission of the stewards a race may be started without a starting gate. The starter may employ as many assistant starters as needed and shall daily change the gate position of each assistant starter without notice to the assistant starters until the field for the first race comes upon the track.

      (2) A horse shall not be permitted to start in a race unless approval is given by the starter. The starter shall maintain a schooling list which shall be posted in the racing secretary's office listing the names of all horses ineligible to start due to inadequate training at leaving the gate. Horses shall be schooled under the supervision of the starter or his assistants.

      (3) The starter shall report to the stewards any disobedience of his orders or attempts to take unfair advantage at the starting gate and recommend penalties for offenders.

      (4) An assistant starter shall not handle a horse until instructed to do so by the starter. An assistant starter shall not strike or use abusive language to a jockey.

      (5) A starter or assistant starter shall not accept any gratuity or payment other than his regular salary, directly or indirectly, for services in starting a race, and he shall not wager on a race.

      (6) The starter shall maintain a written record showing the names of all starters during the day and the names of the assistant starters who handled each horse. This record shall be made available to the stewards upon request.

      (7) The starter shall have constant radio or telephone communication with the stewards from the time the horses leave the paddock until the field is sent away.

 

      Section 7. Patrol Judges. At least two (2) racing officials shall serve as patrol judges who shall be stationed in elevated stands at points designated by the stewards to observe the running of each race. Each patrol judge shall have instant radio or telephone communication with the stewards to report observations, particularly as to any suspected foul riding, during the running of each race. Patrol judges shall assist in making up the film list and shall review all patrol films or video tapes before commencement of the next succeeding race program.

 

      Section 8. Placing Judges. Three (3) racing officials shall serve as placing judges who shall occupy a stand directly above the finish line during the running of each race. The placing judges shall take special note of racing colors and distinguishing equipment carried by each horse. The placing judges shall determine the order of the horses as they cross the finish line by consideration of the respective noses of the horses. The placing judges shall cause the numbers of the first four (4) horses to cross the finish line to be flashed on the result board. A photo finish camera approved by the commission shall be used as an aid by the placing judges in determining the order of the horses as they cross the finish line; placing judges may request a photo to assist in determining margins of less than a half-length.

 

      Section 9. Timer. A racing official shall serve as timer who shall occupy a stand directly above the finish line during the running of each race to record the official time. The timer shall record the fractional time of leading horses during each race and the final time of the first horse to cross the finish line. An electrical or mechanical timing device approved by the commission may be used as an aid by the timer in determining the official time of each race. The timer shall maintain a written record of fractional and finish times of each race and have them available for inspection by the stewards or commission on request. (KSRC Ch. 5, 5.01 to.08; 1 Ky.R. 896; eff. 5-14-75; Am. 10 Ky.R. 661; eff. 12-2-83; 18 Ky.R. 1989; eff. 2-19-92; TAm eff. 8-9-2007; 38 Ky.R. 43; 603; eff. 10-7-11.)

Notation

      RELATES TO: KRS 230.240

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 230.215, 230.240, 230.260

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 230.215(2) authorizes the commission to promulgate administrative regulations prescribing conditions under which all horse racing is conducted in the Commonwealth. This administrative regulation outlines the qualifications, duties, powers and responsibilities of racing officials.