DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Thoroughbred Racing Commission
final
ORDER
Pursuant to 29 Del.C §10108(c) and 3 Del.C §10103, the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission issues this Order adopting proposed amendments to the Commission’s Rules. Following notice and a public hearing on September 22, 2009, the Commission makes the following findings and conclusions:
Summary of the Evidence
The Commission posted public notice of the proposed amendments in the September 1, 2009 Register of Regulations and for two consecutive weeks in The News Journal and Delaware State News. The Commission proposed to amend Section 11.0 Entries, Subscriptions, Delegations by amending existing Rule 11.4.1 Mutuel Entries by striking the last sentence to allow trainer-owned horses to be uncoupled, different owner entries.
The public was given notice and an opportunity to provide the Commission with comments in writing and by testimony on September 22, 2009, at the public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Commission’s Rules.
Findings of Fact and Conclusions
The public was given notice and an opportunity to provide the Commission with comments in writing and by testimony on September 22, 2009, at the public hearing. No comments were received by writing. Comments received by testimony held in favor of the amendments.
The Commission concludes that the proposal to amend Section 11.0 Entries, Subscriptions, Delegations by amending existing Rule 11.4.1 Mutuel Entries by striking the last sentence to allow trainer-owned horses to be uncoupled, different owner entries should be adopted.
The effective date of this Order will be ten (10) days from the publication of this Order in the Register of Regulations on October 1, 2009.
IT IS SO ORDERED this 22nd day of September 2009.
Bernard J. Daney, Chairman
W. Duncan Patterson, Secretary/Commissioner
Henry James Decker, Commissioner
Debbie Killeen, Commissioner
Edward Stegemeier, Commissioner
1001 Thoroughbred Racing Rules and Regulations
(Break in Continuity of Sections)
11.1 Entering and Eligibility Required:
11.1.1 No horse shall be qualified to start in any race unless such horse has been and continues to be duly entered therein. Entries or subscriptions for any horse, or the transfer of same, may be refused or cancelled by the Licensee without notice or reason given therefore.
11.1.2 A horse must be eligible at the time of entry.
11.1.3 A horse must be eligible at the time of starting.
11.2 Procedure for Making Entries:
11.2.1 It shall be the absolute responsibility of the Trainer to report bleeders from other jurisdictions to the Commission's Veterinarian or Stewards on official forms from that State prior to entry.
11.2.2 All entries, subscriptions, declarations and scratches shall be lodged with the Racing Secretary and shall not be considered as having been made until received by the Racing Secretary who shall maintain a record of time of receipt of same.
11.2.3 Every entry must be in the name of such horse's registered Owner, as completely disclosed and registered with the Racing Secretary under these Rules and made by the Owner, Trainer or a person deputized by such Owner or Trainer.
11.2.4 Every entry must be in writing, or by telegraph promptly confirmed in writing, except that an entry may be made by telephone to the Racing Secretary but must be confirmed in writing should the Stewards, the Racing Secretary or an assistant to the Racing Secretary so request.
11.2.5 Every entry shall clearly designate the horse so entered. When entered for the first time during a meeting, every horse shall be designated by name, age color, sex, sire, dam and broodmare sire, as reflected by such horse's registration certificate.
11.2.6 No horse may race unless correctly identified to the satisfaction of the Stewards as being the horse duly entered;
11.2.7 In establishing the identity of a horse, responsibility shall be borne by any person attempting to identify such horse as well as the Owner of such horse, all such persons being subject to appropriate disciplinary action for incorrect identification.
11.2.8 At the time of entering a horse, the Trainer of such horse or his representative, must declare to the Racing Secretary or his representative, whether the horse will race on any medication permitted by these Rules and shall not deviate from such declaration.
11.2.9 Within the discretion of the Stewards, a list of horses so declared to race on medication may, in whole or in part, be announced, released for publication or otherwise made public without liability for the accuracy thereof.
11.2.10 In order to claim an apprentice allowance at the time of entry, an Apprentice Jockey must be designated by name.
11.2.11 No alteration may be made in any entry after the closing of entries, except that an error may be corrected.
11.2.12 No horse may be entered in two races to be run on the same day.
11.3 Limitation as to Spouses:
Repealed 1/6/92.
11.4 Mutuel Entries:
11.4.1 All horses entered in the same race and owned wholly or in part by the same owner or spouse thereof shall be joined as a mutuel entry and a single betting interest. Horses shall be regarded as having a common owner when an owner of one horse, either as an individual or as a licensed member of a partnership or as a licensed shareholder of a corporation, has an ownership interest in another horse, either as an individual or as a licensed shareholder of a partnership or as a licensed shareholder of a corporation. No trainer of any horse shall have any ownership interest in any other horse in the same race unless such horses are coupled as a single wagering interest.
11.4.2 Coupled Entries and Mutuel Fields: Horses with same owner ties may be coupled in wagering as a coupled entry or mutuel field and shall be considered part of a single betting interest for the purpose of purse calculations and distribution of pools. Should any horse in a coupled entry or mutuel field be officially withdrawn or scratched, the remaining horse or horses in that coupled entry or mutuel field shall remain valid betting interests.
11.4.3 Same Owner and Different Owner Entries: Owners shall not have more than two horses entered in a purse race with the exception of stakes and handicap races. Trainers shall not have more than three horses entered in a purse race (two betting interests) with the exception of stakes and handicap races.
11.4.4 In no case may two horses having common ties through ownership start in a purse race to the exclusion of a single interest.
Revised: 6/19/92
11.5 Subscriptions:
11.5.1 Nominations to or entry of a horse in a stakes race is a subscription. Any subscriber to a stakes race may transfer or declare such subscription prior to closing.
11.5.1.1 Joint subscription and entries may be made by any one of the joint Owners of a horse and each such Owner shall be jointly and severally liable for all payments due thereon.
11.5.1.2 Death of a horse or a mistake in its entry, when such horse is eligible, does not release the subscriber or transferee from liability for all stakes fees due thereon. No fees paid in connection with a subscription to a stakes race that is run shall be refunded.
11.5.1.3 Death of a nominator or original subscriber to a stakes race shall not render void any subscription, entry or right of entry thereunder; all rights, privileges and obligations shall attach to the successor Owner, including the legal representatives of the decedent.
11.5.1.4 When a horse is sold privately, sold at public auction or claimed, stakes engagements for such horse shall be transferred automatically with such horse to its new Owner, except that if such horse is transferred to a person whose registration is suspended or otherwise unqualified to race or enter such horse, then subscriptions shall be void as of the date of such transfer.
Rule 11.4 Rev. July 1977
Rule 11.4 Rev. July 1978
11.5.1.5 All stakes fees paid toward a stakes race shall be allocated to the winner thereof unless otherwise provided by the conditions for such stakes race. In the event a stakes race is not run for any reason, all such subscription fees paid shall be refunded.
11.6 Closings:
11.6.1 Entries for purse races and subscriptions to stakes races shall close at the time designated by the Licensee in the previously published conditions for such races. If a race is not split, no entry, subscription or declaration shall be accepted after such closing time, except that in the event of an emergency or if a purse race fails to fill, then the Racing Secretary may, with the approval of a Steward, extend such closing time.
11.6.2 If the hour of closing is not specified for stakes races, then subscriptions and declarations therefore may be accepted until midnight of the day of closing, provided they are received in time for compliance with every other condition of such race.
11.6.3 Entries which have closed shall be compiled without delay by the Racing Secretary and, along with declarations, be posted.
11.7 Number of Starters in a Race:
11.7.1 The maximum number of starters in any race shall be limited to the number of starting positions afforded by the Licensee's starting gate and such extensions thereof as can be positioned across the width of the track at the starting point for such race. Such maximum number of starters shall be further limited by the number of horses which, in the opinion of the Stewards, considering the safety of the horses and riders and the distance from the start of the first turn, can be afforded a fair and equal start.
11.7.2 If any purse race in the printed condition book fails to fill, then the Licensee may cancel or declare off such race.
11.8 Split or Divided Races:
11.8.1 In the event a race is cancelled or declared off, the Licensee may split any race programmed for the same day and which may previously have been closed.
11.8.2 When a purse race is split, forming two or more separate races, the Racing Secretary shall give notice thereof not less than 15 minutes before such races are closed so as to grant time for the making of additional entries to such split races.
11.8.3 Division of entries upon the splitting of any race shall be made in accordance with the conditions under which entries and subscriptions therefore were made and in the absence of specific prohibition by such conditions:
11.8.3.1 Horses originally joined as a mutuel entry shall, to the greatest extent possible, be placed in different divisions of a split race;
11.8.3.2 Division of other entries in any split race may be made according to age, sex or weight, except that such entries not so divided shall be divided by lot so as to provide a number of betting interests as nearly equal as possible for each division of such split race.
11.9 Post Positions:
11.9.1 Post positions for all races shall be determined by lot drawn in the presence of those making the entries for such race. Post positions in split races also shall be redetermined by lot in the presence of those making the entries for such split race. The Racing Secretary shall assign pari-mutuel numbers for each starter to conform with the post position drawn, except when a race includes two or more horses joined as a single betting interest.
11.10 Also Eligible List:
11.10.1 If the number of entries for a purse race exceeds the number of horses permitted to start in such race, then the names of as many as six (6) additional horses may be drawn as provided in Rule 11.9. The names drawn shall be posted, in the order they were drawn, as "also eligible" to start.
11.10.2 After any horses have been excused from a purse race at scratch time, the starting and post position of such horses as needed from the also-eligible list shall be determined by the order in which they appear on the entry sheet.
Revised: 10/26/95
11.10.3 Any Owner or Trainer of any horse on the also-eligible list who does not wish to start such horse in such race shall so notify the Racing Secretary prior to scratch time for such race and such horse shall forfeit any preference to which it may have been entitled.
11.10.4 Where entries are closed two racing days prior to the running of a race, any horse on an also-eligible list, which has also been drawn into a race as a starter for the succeeding day, shall not be given an opportunity to be drawn into the earlier race for which he had been listed as also-eligible.
11.11 Preferred List; Stars:
11.11.1 The Racing Secretary shall maintain a list of horses which were entered but denied an opportunity to race because eliminated from a race programmed in the printed condition book either by overfilling or failure to fill. Horses so eliminated shall be awarded a preference "star" for each such elimination. As to drawing in from the also-eligible list to subsequent races of similar distance and similar conditions, such horses shall be given preference over horses with fewer number or no preference stars.
11.11.2 No preference shall be given a horse otherwise entitled thereto for a race if such horse is also entered for a race on the succeeding day.
11.11.3 No preference shall be given a horse otherwise entitled thereto for a race unless preference is claimed at the time of entry by indicating same on the entry with the word "preferred".
11.12 Arrears:
11.12.1 No horse may be entered or raced if the Owner thereof is in arrears as to any stakes fees due by such Owner, or is indebted in any sum to Licensee, except with the approval of the Racing Secretary. (Also, see Rule 6.11).
11.13 Declarations:
11.13.1 Withdrawal of a horse from a race before closing thereof by the Owner or Trainer or person deputized by either, such being known as a "declaration', shall be made in the same manner as to form, time and procedure as provided for the making of entries. Declarations and scratches are irrevocable. No declaration fee shall be required by any Licensee.
11.14 Scratches:
11.14.1 Withdrawal of a horse from a race after closing thereof by the Owner or Trainer or person deputized by either, such being known as a "scratch", shall be permitted only under the following conditions:
11.14.1.1 A horse may be scratched from a stakes race for any reason at any time up until 45 minutes before post time for that race.
11.14.1.2 No horse may be scratched from a purse race without approval of the Stewards and unless such intention to scratch has been filed in writing with the Racing Secretary or his assistant at or before the time conspicuously posted as "scratch time". Scratch of one horse coupled in a mutuel entry in a purse race must be made at or before the posted scratch time, unless permission is granted by the Stewards to allow both horses to remain in the race until a later appointed scratch time therefore.
11.14.1.3 In purse races, horses that are physically disabled or sick shall be permitted to be scratched first. Horses that are not physically disabled or sick may be scratched only with the permission and in the manner prescribed by the Stewards.
11.14.1.4 Entry of any horse which has been scratched or excused from starting by the Stewards because of a physical disability or sickness shall not be accepted until the expiration of three calendar days after such horse was scratched or excused.
11.14.1.5 The Stewards will review all cases in which a horse is entered to run at a licensed track in Delaware, while appearing in the entries in another racing jurisdiction, during the five day entry period for Delaware. It shall be a violation of these Rules for a licensee to scratch a horse entered to race in Delaware in order for said horse to race in another jurisdiction within the five day entry period. Violations of this Rule, absent mitigating circumstances, will be subject to fines of not less than $1,000 and no more than $2,500. This rule shall not pertain to Handicap and Stake races.
