810 Ky. Admin. Regs. 4:020

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 5, November 1, 2024

Section 810 KAR 4:020 - Weights

RELATES TO: KRS 230.215, 230.260

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 230.215(2) authorizes the corporation to promulgate administrative regulations prescribing conditions under which all horse racing is conducted in the Commonwealth. This administrative regulation provides the requirements for assigning weights to a horse in a race.

Section 1. Weight Assignments for Horses.

(1) Weight allowance shall be claimed at time of entry and shall not be waived after the posting of entries, except by consent of the stewards.

(2) A horse shall start with only the weight allowance to which it is entitled at the time of starting, regardless of its allowance at time of entry.

(3) Weight penalties shall be mandatory. A horse incurring a weight penalty for a race shall not be entitled to any weight allowance for that race. A horse not entitled to the first weight allowance in a race condition shall not be entitled to any subsequent allowance specified in the race conditions.

(4) Claim of weight allowance to which a horse is not entitled shall not disqualify the horse, unless protest is made in writing and lodged with the stewards at least one (1) hour before post time.

(5) A horse shall not incur a weight penalty or be barred from any race for having been placed second or lower in any race. A horse shall not be given a weight allowance for failure to finish second or lower in any race.

(6)

(a) Except as established in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a horse shall not receive weight allowance and shall not be relieved of extra weight for having been beaten in one (1) or more races.

(b) A horse may receive weight allowances if it has not won a race within a specified period or a race of a specified value as set forth in the race conditions.

(7) Penalties incurred and allowances due in steeplechase or hurdle races shall not apply to races on the flat, and vice versa.

(8) In determining eligibility, allowances, and penalties, the reports, records, and statistics as recorded in racing publications shall be considered official, but may be corrected by the publisher up to forty-five (45) minutes prior to post time of the race.

(9) A maiden winning at an unrecognized meeting shall lose the maiden condition. All other horses winning at unrecognized meetings shall not be considered winners for weight allowance or eligibility in races run thereafter under the jurisdiction of the corporation.

(10) A thoroughbred horse shall not be assigned a weight of less than 118 pounds, unless:

(a) Apprentice allowance is claimed;

(b) The horse is assigned a weight of less than 118 pounds in a handicap race by the racing secretary;

(c) The horse is a three (3) year old entered to run in a race against horses four (4) years old and older from January 1st through September 1, in which case the horse shall not be assigned a weight less than 116 pounds; or

(d) The filly and mare weight allowance in subsection (11) applies.

(11) Except in handicaps, thoroughbred fillies two (2) years old shall be allowed three (3) pounds, and thoroughbred fillies and mares three (3) years old and older shall be allowed five (5) pounds before September 1, and three (3) pounds thereafter in a race that includes horses of the opposite sex.

(12) Arabian minimum scale weights shall be 120 pounds for two (2) year-olds, 122 pounds for three (3) year-olds, and 124 pounds for four (4) year-olds and older.

(13) Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, and Paint Horse minimum scale weights shall be 124 pounds for two-year-olds, 126 pounds for three-year-olds, and 128 pounds for four-year-olds and older.

(14) Five (5) pounds shall be the limit of overweight any horse is permitted to carry.

Section 2. Jockey Weight Procedures and Requirements.

(1) Jockeys shall be weighed out for their respective mounts by the clerk of scales not less than fifteen (15) minutes before post time. Only valets furnished by the association shall assist a jockey in weighing out.

(2) A jockey's weight shall include:

(a) Clothing;

(b) Boots;

(c) Saddle and its attachments; and

(d) Any other equipment except as specified in this subsection.

(3) A jockey's weight shall not include:

(a) Riding crop;

(b) Bridle;

(c) Bit;

(d) Reins;

(e) Safety helmet;

(f) Safety vest;

(g) Blinkers;

(h) Goggles;

(i) Over-girth;

(j) Breast collar; and

(k) Number cloth.

(4) After a race has been run, the jockey shall ride promptly to the finish line, dismount, and present himself to the clerk of scales to be weighed in. The jockey shall carry to the clerk of scales all pieces of equipment with which he or she weighed out. The post-race weighing of a jockey shall include any sweat, dirt, and mud that have accumulated on the jockey, jockey's clothing, jockey's safety helmet, jockey's safety vest, and over-girth.

(5) Each jockey shall weigh in at no less than the weight at which he or she weighed out. If short, the stewards shall investigate and if warranted take disciplinary action against the individual or individuals responsible for the violation, including disqualification of the horse from receiving what would otherwise be its share of the purse.

(6) If a jockey is prevented from riding his or her mount to the finish line because of an accident or illness either to himself or his mount, the jockey may walk or be carried to the scales, or the jockey may be excused by the stewards from weighing in.

(7) A notice shall be included in the daily program that:

(a) Each jockey shall carry approximately three (3) pounds more than the published weight to account for safety helmets and safety vests not included in required weighing out procedures; and

(b) Upon approval of the stewards, a jockey may be allowed up to three (3) pounds additional clothing and equipment for inclement weather or track conditions.

810 KAR 4:020

45 Ky.R. 1918; 2723; 3115; eff. 5-31-2019; TAm eff. 7/1/2024.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 230.215(2), 230.260