Section 71IAC7.5-6-5. Post to finish

   (a) The following shall apply to starting the race:

(1) The starter is responsible for assuring that each participant receives a fair start.

(2) If, when the starter dispatches the field, any door at the front of the starting gate stalls should not open properly due to a mechanical failure or malfunction or should any action by any starting personnel directly cause a horse to receive an unfair start, the stewards may declare the horse a nonstarter.

(3) Should a horse, not scratched prior to the start, not be in the starting gate stall thereby causing it to be left when the field is dispatched by the starter, the horse shall be declared a nonstarter by the stewards.

(4) Should an accident or malfunction of the starting gate, or other unforeseeable event compromise the fairness of the race or the safety of race participants, the stewards may declare individual horses to be nonstarters, exclude individual horses from one (1) or more pari-mutuel pools, or declare a no contest and refund all wagers except as otherwise provided in the rules involving multi-race wagers.

  (b) The following shall apply to interference, jostling, or striking during the race:

(1) A jockey shall not ride carelessly or willfully so as to permit the jockey's mount to interfere with, impede, or intimidate any other horse in the race.

(2) No jockey shall carelessly or willfully jostle, strike, or touch another jockey or another jockey's horse or equipment.

(3) No jockey shall unnecessarily cause the jockey's horse to shorten its stride so as to give the appearance of having suffered a foul.

  (c) The following shall apply to maintaining a straight course during the race:

(1) When the way is clear in a race, a horse may be ridden to any part of the course, but if any horse swerves, or is ridden to either side, so as to interfere with, impede, or intimidate any other horse, it may be a foul.

(2) The offending horse may be disqualified if, in the opinion of the stewards, the foul altered the finish of the race, regardless of whether the foul was accidental, willful, or the result of careless riding.

(3) If the stewards determine the foul was intentional, or due to careless riding, the jockey may be held responsible.

(4) In a straightaway race, every horse must maintain position as nearly as possible in the lane in which it starts. If a horse is ridden, drifts, or swerves out of its lane in such a manner that it interferes with, impedes, or intimidates another horse, and it may result in the disqualification of the offending horse.

  (d) The following shall apply to disqualifications during the race:

(1) When the stewards determine that a horse shall be disqualified for interference, they may place the offending horse behind such horses as in their judgment it interfered with, or they may place it last.

(2) If a horse is disqualified for a foul, any horse or horses with which it is coupled as an entry may also be disqualified.

(3) When a horse is disqualified for interference in a time trial race, for the purposes of qualifying only, it shall receive the time of the horse it is placed behind plus one one-hundredth (1/100) of one (1) second penalty, or more exact measurement if photo finish equipment permits, and shall be eligible to qualify for the finals or consolations of the race on the basis of the assigned time.

(4) Possession of any electrical or mechanical stimulating or shocking device by a jockey, horse owner, trainer, or other person authorized to handle or attend to a horse shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of these rules and is sufficient grounds for the stewards to scratch or disqualify the horse.

(5) The stewards may determine that a horse shall be unplaced for the purpose of purse distribution and time trial qualification.

  (e) All horses shall be ridden out in every race. A jockey shall not ease up or coast to the finish, without reasonable cause, even if the horse has no apparent chance to win prize money. A jockey shall give a best effort during a race, and each horse shall be ridden to win.

  (f) The following shall apply to use of riding crops during the race:

(1) Although the use of a riding crop is not required, any jockey who uses a riding crop during a race shall do so only in a manner consistent with exerting his/her best efforts to win.

(2) In all races where a jockey will ride without a riding crop, an announcement of such fact shall be made over the public address system.

(3) No electrical or mechanical device or other expedient designed to increase or retard the speed of a horse, other than the riding crop approved by the stewards, shall be possessed by anyone or applied by anyone to a horse at any time on the grounds of the association during the meeting, whether in a race or otherwise.

(4) Riding crops shall not be used on two-year-old horses in races before April 1 of each year.

(5) The riding crop shall only be used for safety, correction, and encouragement.

(6) All riders should comply with the following when using the riding crop:

(A) showing the horse the riding crop and giving it time to respond before hitting it;

(B) having used the riding crop, giving the horse a chance to respond before using it again; and

(C) using the riding crop in rhythm with the horse's stride.

(7) Prohibited use of the riding crop includes, but are [sic, is] not limited to striking a horse:

(A) on the head, flanks, or any other part of its body other than the shoulders or hind quarters, except when necessary to control a horse;

(B) during the post parade or after the finish of the race, except when necessary to control the horse;

(C) excessively or brutally causing welts or breaks in the skin;

(D) when the horse is clearly out of the race or has obtained its maximum placing; or

(E) persistently even though the horse is showing no response under the riding crop;

or striking another person or horse.

  (g) After the race, horses will be subject to inspection by a racing or official veterinarian looking for cuts, welts, or bruises in the skin. Any adverse findings shall be reported to the stewards.

  (h) The giving of instructions by any licensee that if obeyed would lead to a violation of this rule may result in disciplinary action also being taken against the licensee who gave such instructions.

  (i) If a horse leaves the racecourse during a race, it shall be disqualified.

  (j) The following shall apply to the order of finish:

(1) The official order of finish shall be decided by the stewards with the aid of the photo finish camera and, in the absence of the photo finish film strip, the video replay. The photo finish and video player are only aids in the stewards' decision. The decision of the stewards shall be final in all cases.

(2) The nose of the horse shall determine the placement of the horse in relationship to other horses in the race.

  (k) The following shall apply to returning after the finish:

(1) After a race has been run, the jockey shall ride promptly to the place designated by the stewards, dismount, and report to the clerk of scales to be weighed in. Jockeys shall weigh in with all pieces of equipment with which they weighed out.

(2) If a jockey is prevented from riding to the designated unsaddling area because of an accident or illness to the jockey or the horse, the jockey may walk or be transported to the scales, or may be excused from weighing in by the stewards.

  (l) The following shall apply to unsaddling:

(1) Only persons authorized by the stewards may assist the jockey with unsaddling the horse after the race.

(2) No one shall place a covering over a horse before it is unsaddled.

  (m) Weighing in:

(1) A jockey shall weigh in at no less than the same weight at which he/she weighed out and if under that weight, and after consideration of mitigating circumstances by the board of stewards, his/her mount may be disqualified from any portion of the purse money.

(2) In the event of a disqualification, all monies wagered on the horse shall be refunded unless the race has been declared official.

(3) A jockey's weight shall include clothing, boots, saddle, and its attachments and any other equipment except the bridle, bit, blinkers, number cloth, and over-girth, reins, and breast collar.

(4) Upon approval of the stewards, the jockeys may be allowed up to three (3) pounds more than published weights to account for inclement weather clothing and equipment.

(5) The post-race weight of jockeys includes any sweat, dirt, and mud that have accumulated on the jockey, jockey's clothing, jockey's safety equipment, and over-girth. This accounts for additional weight, depending on specific equipment, as well as weather, track, and racing conditions.

  (n) The following shall apply to dead heats:

(1) When two (2) horses run a dead heat for first place, all purses or prizes to which the first and second horses would have been entitled shall be divided equally between them. This subdivision applies in dividing all purses or prizes whatever the number of horses running a dead heat and whatever places for which the dead heat is run.

(2) In a dead heat for first place, each horse involved shall be deemed a winner and liable to penalty for the amount it shall receive.

(3) When a dead heat is run for second place and an objection is made to the winner of the race, and sustained, the horses which ran a dead heat shall be deemed to have run a dead heat for first place.

(4) If the dividing owners cannot agree as to which of them is to have a cup or other prize which cannot be divided, the question shall be determined by lot by the stewards.

  (o) The following shall apply to time trials:

(1) Except in cases where the starting gate physically restricts the number of horses starting, each time trial shall consist of no more than ten (10) horses.

(2) The time trials shall be raced under the same conditions as the finals. If the time trials are conducted on the same day, the horses with the ten (10) fastest times shall qualify to participate in the finals. If the time trials are conducted on two (2) days, the horses with the first five (5) fastest times on the first day and the horses with the five (5) fastest times on the second day shall qualify to participate in the finals.

(3) If the association's starting gate has less than ten (10) stalls, then the maximum number of qualifiers will correspond to the maximum number of starting gate post positions.

(4) If only eleven (11) or twelve (12) horses are entered to run in time trials from a gate with twelve (12) or more stalls, the association may choose to run finals only. If eleven (11) or twelve (12) horses participate in the finals, only the first ten (10) finishers will receive purse money.

(5) In the time trials, horses shall qualify on the basis of time and order of finish. The times of the horses in the time trial will be determined to the limit of the timer. The only exception is when two (2) or more horses have the same time in the same trial heat, in which case the order of finish shall also determine the preference in qualifying for the finals. Should two (2) or more horses in different time trials have the same qualifying time to the limit of the timer for the final qualifying positions, then a draw by public lot shall be conducted as directed by the stewards.

(6) Except in the case of a disqualification, under no circumstances shall a horse qualify ahead of a horse that finished ahead of that horse in the official order of finish in a time trial.

(7) Should a horse be disqualified for interference during the running of a time trial, it shall receive the time of the horse it is immediately placed behind plus one one-hundredth (1/100) of one (1) second, or the maximum accuracy of the electronic timing device. No adjustments will be made in the times recorded in the time trials to account for head-wind, tail-wind, off-track, or other conditions.

(8) Should a malfunction occur with electronic times on any time trials, finalists from that time will then be determined by official hand timing operated by three (3) official and disinterested persons. The average of the three (3) hand times will be utilized for the winning time unless one (p) [sic] of the hand times is clearly incorrect. In such cases, the average of the two (2) accurate hand times will be utilized for the winning time.

(Indiana Horse Racing Commission; 71 IAC 7.5-6-5; emergency rule filed Jun 15, 1995, 5:00 p.m.: 18 IR 2872, eff Jul 1, 1995; emergency rule filed Aug 9, 1995, 10:30 a.m.: 18 IR 3409; emergency rule filed Jun 22, 2000, 3:05 p.m.: 23 IR 2781; readopted filed Oct 30, 2001, 11:50 a.m.: 25 IR 899; readopted filed Mar 23, 2007, 11:31 a.m.: 20070404-IR-071070030RFA; emergency rule filed Mar 19, 2009, 11:07 a.m.: 20090401-IR-071090195ERA, eff Mar 12, 2009 [IC 4-22-2-37.1 establishes the effectiveness of an emergency rule upon filing with the Publisher. LSA Document #09-195(E) was filed with the Publisher March 19, 2009.]; emergency rule filed Mar 23, 2010, 1:27 p.m.: 20100331-IR-071100170ERA; readopted filed Nov 26, 2013, 11:25 a.m.: 20131225-IR-071130345RFA)