Rule 4265.
(1)
Although a leading horse is entitled to any part of the race course, except
after selecting its position in the home stretch, the driver of the first horse
or any other driver in the race shall not violate the driving rules by
participating in any of the following conduct:
(a) Change either to the right or left during
any part of the race when another horse is so near him or her that in altering
his or her position the driver compels another horse to shorten its stride or
causes the driver of the other horse to pull the horse out of its
stride.
(b) Jostle or strike, or
hook wheels or interfere with, another horse or driver.
(c) Cross sharply in front of a horse or
cross in front of a field of horses in a reckless manner or endanger other
drivers.
(d) Swerve in and out or
pull up quickly.
(e) Crowd a horse
or driver by putting a wheel under him.
(f) Carry a horse out.
(g) Sit down in front of a horse or take up
abruptly in front of other horses so as to cause confusion or interference
among trailing horses.
(h) Let a
horse pass inside needlessly or otherwise help another horse to improve its
position in the race.
(i) Commit
any act which impedes the progress of another horse or causes it to
break.
(j) Change course after
selecting a position in the home stretch or swerve in and out, or bear in and
out, in a manner as to interfere with another horse or cause it to change
course or take back.
(k) Drive in a
careless or reckless manner.
(l)
Loud shouting or other improper conduct.
(m) Fail to set and maintain a pace which is
reasonable for that class of horse.
(2) All objections by drivers of any foul
driving or other misconduct during the heat shall be made at the termination of
the heat, unless the driver is prevented from doing so by an accident or
injury. Any driver desiring to enter a claim of foul or other objection of the
rules shall, before dismounting, indicate to the official starter or the patrol
judge his or her desire to enter the objection and shall immediately, upon
dismounting, proceed to the telephone, where such objection shall be
immediately entered. The stewards shall not cause the "official" sign to be
displayed until the objection has been entered and considered.
(3) If any violation specified in subrule (1)
of this rule is committed by a person driving a horse coupled as an entry in
the betting, the stewards shall set the offending horse back. The horse coupled
in the entry with the offending horse shall also be set back if the stewards
find that the horse improved its finishing position as a direct result of the
offense committed by the offending horse.
(4) In case of interference, collision, or
violation of any of the provisions of this rule, the offending horse may be
placed back 1 or more positions in that heat or dash. If a collision or
interference prevents any horse from finishing the heat or dash, the offending
horse may be disqualified from receiving any winnings and the driver may be
subject to disciplinary action or, if a horse is set back, it shall be placed
behind the horse with which it interfered.
(5) Every heat in a race shall be contested
by every horse in the race, and every horse shall be driven to the finish. If
the stewards believe that a horse is being driven, or has been driven, with the
intent of preventing its winning a heat or dash which it was evidently able to
win, or is being raced in an inconsistent manner or to perpetrate or to aid in
fraud, they shall consider such driving a violation, and the driver and anyone
aiding the driver in effecting the outcome of the race or races may be subject
to disciplinary action. The stewards may substitute a competent and reliable
driver at any time. The substituted driver shall be paid at the discretion of
the stewards and the driver fee retained from the purse money due the horse, if
any.
(6) If a drive is
unsatisfactory due to the lack of effort or due to carelessness or is an
inconsistent drive, the stewards may impose a penalty under this
subrule.
(7) If, in the opinion of
the stewards, a driver is for any reason unfit or incompetent to drive, refuses
to comply with the directions of the racing officials, or is reckless in his or
her conduct and endangers the safety of horses or other drivers in the race, he
or she may be removed and another driver substituted at any time after the
positions have been assigned in a race, and the offending driver shall be
subject to disciplinary action. The substitute driver shall be properly
compensated.
(8) If, for any cause,
a horse fails to finish after starting in a heat, that horse shall be ruled
out.
(9) A driver shall be mounted
in his or her sulky at the finish of the race or the horse shall be placed as
not finishing.
(10) A driver must
do all of the following:
Have control of his or her horse at all times when on the
race course.
Keep a line in each hand from the start of the race until
the end of the race.
Not move his or her arm or arms in an exaggerated manner,
and both lines shall remain reasonably taut during the entire race.
Keep both feet in the stirrups from the time the horses are
brought to the starting gate until the race has been completed. A driver may
remove a foot from the stirrups during the race solely for the purpose of
pulling ear plugs and once the ear plugs have been pulled the foot must be
placed back into the stirrup.
Not lean back during any part of the race in any manner
that may cause unsafe conditions, alter the position of or impede the progress
of trailing horses.
Not use any goading device, chain, or mechanical device or
appliance, other than the ordinary whip, upon any horse in any race. The
possession of any mechanical or electrical goading device on the grounds of an
association is a violation.
Not punch, jab, or kick a horse at any time while on the
grounds.
(11) Use of whip
must meet all of the following requirements:
Whipping shall be limited to wrist action only with minimal
elbow movement, and the whipping hand shall not be raised above shoulder
height.
Drivers shall not whip below the level of the shaft or
strike any part of the horse under the tail or between the legs.
Drivers shall not strike another horse or driver with a
whip or use the whip so as to interfere in any way to another horse in the
race.
Drivers shall not whip a horse during the post parade or
after the finish of the race.
Excessive, indiscriminate, visibly injurious, or abusive
use of the whip is prohibited.
Drivers shall not continue to use the whip on an exhausted
horse, or on a horse that is not in contention.
A driver shall not cause visible injury. Welts, cuts, or
whip marks on a horse resulting from whipping is prima facie evidence of a
violation.
Drivers shall not continue to use the whip without giving
the horse time to respond; continuous use of the whip is
prohibited.
(12) Drivers are
allowed whips that do not exceed 4 feet, 8 inches in length and are allowed
snappers that are not longer than 8 inches.
(13) A horse shall not wear hobbles in a race
unless it starts in hobbles in the first heat, and having so started, it shall
continue to wear hobbles to the finish of the race. Any person found guilty of
removing or altering a horse's hobbles during a race or between races for the
purpose of fraud shall be subject to disciplinary action, expelled, or ruled
off. Any horse which habitually races free-legged or with hobbles shall be
required to do so unless requalifying. A horse shall not wear a head pole which
protrudes more than 10 inches beyond its nose.
(14) A horse must finish the race on the race
course or must be placed as not finishing.
(15) All of the following apply regarding a
pylon violation:
(a) A horse while on stride,
or part of the horse's sulky, shall not leave the race course by going inside
the pylons which constitutes the inside limits of the race course when not
forced to do so as a result of the actions of another driver or horse, or
both.
(b) If a horse while on
stride, or part of the horse's sulky, goes inside a pylon and that action gave
the horse an unfair advantage over other horses in the race or the action
helped improve its position in the race, the offending horse may be fined or
placed at the discretion of the stewards.
(c) When an act of interference causes a
horse, or part of the horse's sulky, to cross inside one or more pylons, the
stewards may place the offending horse behind the horse with which it
interfered.
