Section 5.22 - Registration(1) No greyhound shall be entered or permitted to race or to be schooled at any racetrack licensed by the Commission unless properly registered by the National Greyhound Association of Abilene, Kansas. The National Greyhound Association shall be recognized as the official breeding registry of all greyhounds and the Greyhound Publications, Inc. Information System shall be recognized as the official record keeping agency of all grey hound performances and shall maintain the past performance lines on every greyhound raced at an official track licensed by a Racing Jurisdiction. The Massachusetts State Racing Commission may certify any greyhound whose lack of registration with the approved registry is attributable to arbitrary, discriminatory or other unreasonable action or inaction on the part of such agencies.(2) The registry and record keeping agency shall be self- funding, insofar as is practicable, and shall be authorized to charge reasonable fees for their services to attain this objective.(3) A greyhound shall not be entered for racing or schooling at any official track unless it has been tattooed and registered in the N.G.A. stud book and the last six performance lines, if applicable, and the racing history of the greyhound are made available to the Racing Secretary from the Greyhound Information System.(4) The N.G.A. breeding registry shall furnish to the Greyhound Information System when such greyhounds are registered and named the necessary and proper information. A reasonable fee of 80¢ per start that was suggested by the National Association of State Racing Commissions Greyhound Committee, shall be deducted from the weekly purses by the track and paid to the Greyhound Information System.(5) The Massachusetts State Racing Commission shall have access at all times to the N.G.A. breeding Registry and transfer files and to the Greyhound Publications, Inc. Information System.(6) All certificates of registration must be available at all times for inspection by the Commission Judge.(7) All transfer of any title to, leasehold or other interest in greyhounds schooled, entered or racing at any track under the jurisdiction of the Commission shall be registered and recorded with the National Greyhound Association of Abilene, Kansas. Greyhounds that are Massachusetts bred must be registered as Massachusetts bred greyhounds with the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. Massachusetts bred greyhounds must have registration papers filed at the dog track where said greyhound will participate in schooling or pari-mutuel races. The registration papers must be stamped by the National Greyhound Association indicating said greyhounds are registered as Massachusetts bred.
(8) No title, leasehold or other interest in any greyhound will be recognized by the Commission until such title, leasehold or other interest shall be evidenced by written instrument duly filed with and recorded by the National Greyhound Association of Abilene, Kansas, and certified copies thereof filed with the Commission and the Racing Secretary at the track where said greyhound is to be schooled, entered or raced.(9) When a greyhound is sold with its engagements, or any part of them, the seller cannot strike it out of any such engagements. In all cases of sales by private treaty, the written acknowledgment of both parties that the greyhound was sold with the engagements is necessary to entitle the seller or buyer to benefit by this rule and if certain engagements be specified it is to be understood that those only are sold with the greyhound; but when the greyhound is sold at public auction the advertised conditions of the sale are sufficient evidence and if certain engagements only be specified it is to be understood that these only are sold with the greyhound.(10) In case of any transfer of a greyhound with its engagements, such greyhound will not be eligible to start in any stakes, unless at the usual time for the running of the stakes, or prior thereto, the transfer of the greyhound and its engagements shall be exhibited when demanded to the Racing Secretary.(11) If any transfer of a greyhound or engagement is made for the purpose of avoiding disqualification, the person making or receiving such transfer may be liable for a forfeiture, suspension or both.(12) All greyhounds, including those registered in accordance with 205 CMR 5.00 as Massachusetts bred, shall be properly schooled in the presence of the Judges and must, in the opinion of the Judges, be sufficiently experienced before they can be entered or started in pari-mutuel races at licensed dog tracks.(13) All schooling races shall be at a distance not less than the distance nearest to 5/16 mile in use at the track.(14) Greyhounds that transfer from one track to another under the jurisdiction of the Commission need not school if they have raced within ten days.(15) Greyhounds which transfer from a legally licensed track operating under the jurisdiction of a qualified State Racing Commission need not school if they have raced in an official race within ten days at said greyhound track. The Racing Secretary in grading these greyhounds may use the grade of said greyhounds at the track from which they are transferring.(16) Each official schooling race must consist of at least six greyhounds. However, if this condition creates a hardship, less than six may be schooled with the permission of the Commission Judge.(17) No hand schooling will be considered official.(18) Any greyhound that has not been entered for a period of six racing days and/or has not raced for a period of ten racing days or more shall be schooled at least once at its racing weight before being eligible for entry. A race or races which were part of a racing program canceled will not be counted as racing day in relation to greyhounds presently racing on the Active Racing List of Greyhounds entered in such a racing program. If a racing program is canceled, any greyhound eligible to race when that program was originally drawn shall remain eligible to race under 205 CMR 5.22(18) provided the canceled program is rescheduled and subsequently run within 72 (seventy-two) hours of its original date.
(19) All greyhounds in schooling races must be raced at their established racing weight and started from the box wearing blankets.(20) Any owner, trainer, or authorized agent licensed by the Commission who has greyhounds under his care and management that are booked to race on tracks licensed by the Commission, and who permits said greyhounds to be schooled on any track in Massachusetts or elsewhere, not approved by the Commission during these bookings shall be subject to the immediate revocation of his license.(21) The Judges may order any greyhound on the schooling list at any time. Any greyhound ordered on the schooling list by the Judges must be schooled officially and satisfactorily before being allowed to enter a race.(22) A greyhound which, by the decision of the Judges, falls in a race, may at the discretion of the Judges, be required to be schooled in an official schooling race to the satisfaction of the Judges before being allowed to enter or start.(23) To scratch a greyhound entered in a race sufficient cause must be given to satisfy the Judges. All scratches and the cause must be reported immediately to the Commission Judge.(24) Any scratches that occur that are the result of a violation of 205 CMR 5.00 must carry a penalty and/or suspension of said greyhound for a period of six racing days. Scratches for other causes must be disciplined at the discretion of the Judges. However, if any owner or trainer fails to have the greyhound entered at the track at the appointed time for weighing in, and as a result said greyhound is scratched the Judges shall impose a forfeiture and/or suspension on the person responsible.
(25) If three or more greyhounds are withdrawn or scratched in any one race, the Judges may cancel said race.(26) The Judges may scratch a greyhound entered in a race for sufficient cause.