Kan. Admin. Regs. § 112-14-2 - Duties of a harness race starter

(a) The licensed starter shall be in the starting car 15 minutes before the first race.

(b) After one or two preliminary warming up scores, the licensed starter shall notify each driver to come to the starting gate. During or before the parade, the licensed starter shall inform each driver of the number of scores permitted.

(c) The licensed starter shall have control over the horses from the parade until the word "go" is given.

(d) The licensed starter shall notify the stewards of any violations of these racing regulations by any driver. Any driver violating these rules of racing may be set down, fined or suspended.

(e) The horses shall be brought to the starting gate no nearer than one-eighth of a mile before the start, unless otherwise required by track construction or design.

(f) The licensed starter shall allow sufficient time to increase the speed of the gate gradually; the following minimum speeds shall be main-tained:

(1) For the first 1/8 mile, not less than 11 miles per hour; and

(2) for the next 1/16 of a mile not less than 18 miles per hour.

(3) for the first 3/16 mile or to the starting point, whichever is less, the speed shall be gradually increased until the mobile starting gate pulls away from the field of horses.

(g) On one-mile tracks, each horse shall be brought to the starting gate at the head of the stretch and the relative speeds in subsection (f) shall be maintained.

(h) The starting point shall be point-marked on the inside rail not less than 150 feet from the first turn. The licensed starter shall give the word "go" at the starting point.

(i) There shall be no decrease in speed of the mobile gate, except in the case of a recall.

(j) In the case of a recall, the licensed starter shall leave the wings of the gate extended, and wherever possible, gradually slow the speed of the mobile gate to assist in stopping the field of horses. In an emergency, the licensed starter shall determine whether to close the wings of the gate.

(k) The licensed starter shall have control of the horses from the formation of the parade until the licensed starter gives the word "go." Each horse, regardless of its position or an accident, shall be a starter when the licensed starter gives the word "go." Each horse shall complete the course except in case of an accident, broken equipment, or any other reason which, in the opinion of the stewards or the licensed starter makes it impossible to complete the course.

(l) There shall be no recall for a horse that breaks from its gait.

(m) Each licensed starter shall sound a recall when:

(1) A horse scores ahead of the gate;

(2) there is interference;

(3) there is broken equipment;

(4) there is a malfunction of the starting gate; or

(5) a horse falls before the word "go" is given.

(n) A mechanical loudspeaker shall be used only for giving instructions to drivers. The volume shall be no higher than necessary to carry the voice of the licensed starter to the drivers.

(o) Any horse may be held on the backstretch not more than two minutes awaiting post time, except when delayed by an emergency.

(p) If in the opinion of the stewards or the starter, a horse is unmanageable or liable to cause accidents or injury to any other horse or to any driver, the horse may be sent to the barn.

(q) The arms of each starting gate shall be provided with a screen or a shield in front of the position for each horse, and each arm shall be perpendicular to the rail.

(r) The licensed starter shall check the starting gate for malfunctions before commencing any meeting, and shall practice the procedure to be followed in the event of a malfunction. Both the licensed starter and the driver of the car shall know and practice emergency procedures, and the starter shall be responsible for training drivers in emergency procedures.

(s) Each horse winning a heat shall take the pole or inside position in the succeeding heat, unless otherwise specified in the published conditions, and all others shall take their positions in the order they were placed in the last heat. If two or more horses run a dead heat, their positions shall be determined by lot.

(t) Only the licensed starter, the starter's driver, and a patrol judge shall be allowed to ride in the starting gate, unless otherwise directed by the commission.

(u) If there are two tiers of horses, the withdrawing of a horse that has drawn or earned a position in the front tier shall not affect the position of the horses that have drawn or earned positions in the second tier. If a horse is withdrawn from any tier, the horses on the outside shall move toward the pole position. If a horse has drawn a post position in the second tier, the driver of the horse may score out behind any horse in the first tier so long as the driver does not interfere with another trailing horse or deprive another trailing horse of a drawn position.

(v) If horses are started without a gate, the licensed starter shall have control of the horses from the formation of the parade until the starter gives the word "go." The word "go" shall be given at the wire or other point of the start of the race. The licensed starter shall be located at the wire or other point of the start of the race.

(1) No driver shall cause unnecessary delay after the horses are called to parade.

(2) After two preliminary warming up scores, the licensed starter shall notify the drivers to form in order of post positions. The driver of any horse refusing or failing to follow the instructions of the licensed starter as to the order of post positions, or scoring ahead of the pole horse may be set down for the heat in which the offense occurs.

(3) If a driver is set down, the substitute shall be permitted to score the horse once.

(4) A horse delaying the race may be started regardless of its position or gait and there shall be no recall on account of a fractious horse.

(5) If the word is not given, each horse in the race shall immediately turn at the tap of a bell or other signal, and jog back to their parade positions for a fresh start. No recall shall be made after the starting word has been given.

(w) Each driver shall obey the starter's instructions as to:

(1) Rushing ahead of the inside or outside wing of the gate;

(2) coming to the starting gate out of position;

(3) crossing over before reaching the starting point;

(4) interference with another driver during the start;

(5) laying back or failing to come up into position;

(6) actions causing a delay in the start; and

(7) every other matter relating to a fair start.

Notes

Kan. Admin. Regs. § 112-14-2

Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 1988 Supp. 74-8804(p); effective, T-112-7-27-89, July 27, 1989; effective Sept. 18, 1989.