Or. Admin. Code § 462-140-0250 - Starter

(1) The starter is responsible for the horses from the moment they enter the designated racing surface from the paddock until dispatched from the starting gate, and may scratch a horse for good cause. The starter shall immediately notify the stewards of any scratch.

(2) The starter shall give order to secure a fair start. If a horse is prevented from obtaining a fair start or a gate malfunctions, the starter shall immediately notify the stewards who will notify the mutuel department.

(3) The starter shall supervise the schooling of horses which are first time starters or horses which require further schooling out of the gate. If a horse is unmanageable at the starting gate or refuses to break properly, the starter may disqualify the horse from starting again by placing the horse on the starter's list until the horse has had satisfactory schooling. The starter shall notify the racing secretary in writing when horses are placed on or removed from the starter's list. The starter shall also notify the racing secretary in writing of the names of each horse that has been schooled sufficiently to participate in a race and its approved equipment. The starter shall establish and publish schooling procedures.

(4) The starter may appoint assistants, must verify that they are licensed by the commission, and shall assign their positions at the starting gate. The positions of the assistant starters shall be changed daily by the starter, but without notice to them until the horses have appeared on the track for the first race.

(5) No starter or assistant starter shall wager, directly or indirectly, on any race in which they perform official duties.

(6) The starter shall ensure all assistants are properly trained in the safe and appropriate handling of horses including but not limited to; leading, packing, heading, and tailing procedures. The starter shall also ensure the use of tailing bars (if equipped) or other apparatus for wrapping tails greater than 90 degrees is strictly prohibited.

(7) Horses shall take their positions in the starting gate in post position order (beginning at the inside rail) unless the starter has reasonable cause to alter the order of loading.

(8) No person shall give to any starter or assistant starter, nor shall any starter or assistant starter receive, money, or other compensation, gratuity or reward, in connection with the running of any race or races; except such compensation as salaries received from race meet licensees.

Notes

Or. Admin. Code § 462-140-0250

RC 3-2000, f. 3-27-00, cert. ef. 5-1-00; RC 5-2002, f. 12-6-02, cert. ef. 1-1-03; RC 2-2009, f. 8-24-09, cert. ef. 10-1-09; RC 7-2024, amend filed 04/08/2024, effective 4/8/2024

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 462.270(3)

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 462.270