Ohio Administrative Code

(A) Before an apprentice jockey license is granted, the commission, or a board of stewards acting in its behalf, shall ascertain that the applicant has suitable qualifications and aptitude to hold an apprentice jockey's license and that applicant has not been previously licensed …

No jockey who has any financial interest in any racehorse in training at a meeting shall ride any other horse at the same meeting. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:31 PM Authorized By: 3769.03 Amplifies: 3769.03 Five Year Review Date: 5/28/2031 Prior Effective Dates: 3/15/1966, 1/1…

No jockey shall ride any other horse in a race in which their employer has a starter. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:31 PM Authorized By: 3769.03 Amplifies: 3769.03 Five Year Review Date: 5/28/2031 Prior Effective Dates: 3/15/1966, 1/1/1985

(A) No jockey shall make or have made an engagement without the permission of their contract employer.(B) A jockey's fee shall be earned when the jockey is weighed out by the clerk of scales. The fee shall not be earned if the jockey, of their own free will, takes themself off th…

No jockeys shall wager on any horse other than their own mount in any race in which they ride, or permit anyone to wager for them. For any violation of this rule, the jockey shall be fined , suspended, and referred to the racing commission. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:34 PM Au…

A jockey may make their own engagements, or they may be made by their contract employer or their authorized agent, by the trainer of the stable to which the jockey is attached by contract or agreement, by the trainer's agent, or by a jockey agent. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:3…

Every rider shall fulfill their daily scheduled riding engagements, unless excused by the stewards. No rider shall be forced to ride a horse they believe to be unsound nor over a racing strip they believe to be unsafe. If the stewards find a rider's refusal to fulfill a riding en…

If the stewards are satisfied that a race was ridden corruptly, or that a jockey was instructed or induced to ride corruptly, all persons guilty of complicity in the offense shall be fined, suspended, and referred to the commission. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:35 PM Authorized…

(A) No person shall:(1) Corruptly give or offer money, share in a bet or offer other benefits to any person having official duties in relation to a race or to any jockey;(2) Having official duties in relation to a race or any jockey corruptly accept or offer to accept money, shar…

(A) Each jockey agent shall be licensed by the commission and shall be permitted to make the riding engagements of no more than three riders. If a jockey agent makes riding engagements for three riders, one of them has to be an apprentice. No jockey agent shall make or assist in …

(A) The stewards may suspend any agent who falsifies their record and may refer their case to the commission for further action. The commission may revoke the license of any such agent. Jockey agents will be called upon to explain rival claims for any mount or for any rider, and …

(A) Jockeys shall report to the jockeys quarters at the time designated by the stewards. Jockeys shall report their engagements and any overweight to the clerk of scales.(B) Each jockey reporting to the jockeys room shall remain in the jockeys room until they have fulfilled all o…

(A) It shall be the duty of the jockey room custodian to see to it that order, decorum and cleanliness are maintained in the jockey and scale room.(B) The custodian shall assist the clerk of the scales in any way that the official requires.(C) The custodian shall see to it that n…

Jockeys shall not use intoxicants or drugs of any type during the racing day and shall be disciplined if they fail to report sober and in fit condition to fulfill their engagements. Jockeys may be granted permission by the stewards to use drugs prescribed by a physician provided …

Jockeys, while in colors, shall not enter the grandstand, clubhouse, or other areas in which parimutuel tickets are sold. Any jockey violating this rule shall be fined, suspended, and referred to the commission. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:45 PM Authorized By: 3769.03 Amplifie…

(A) Except as may be otherwise agreed to between the parties, the fees to be paid thoroughbred jockeys shall be according to the following schedule:PurseWinning MountSecond MountThird MountFourth MountLosing Mount$5,999 or less10% of win purse$65$60$55$50$6,000 to $7,79910% of wi…

h 119. PDF: If any owner or trainer engages more than one jockey for the same race, they shall pay the losing fee for each jockey thus engaged who does not ride in the race. Last updated May 11, 2026 at 11:45 AM Authorized By: – Amplifies: – Five Year Review Date:

h 119. PDF: No jockey shall contract or agree to ride for anyone but their contract employer for a fee less than the rates prescribed in the rules of racing. Last updated May 11, 2026 at 11:45 AM Authorized By: – Amplifies: – Five Year Review Date:

(A) If a jockey is suspended for any reason other than fraud or attempted fraud, he shall complete the day's engagements unless the stewards rule otherwise. A jockey under suspension in any state or foreign country shall not be permitted to ride and may be denied access to the gr…

(A) The permit holder shall provide and pay valets and/or assess the jockeys therefor.(B) No valet is permitted to converse with the public once the day's program has begun.(C) No valet will be permitted outside the confines of the area required to perform their duties which are …

h 119. PDF: No valet shall wager for himself or anyone else on any race. Any valet who violates this rule may be penalized under the provisions of rule 3769-7-99 of the Administrative Code. Last updated May 11, 2026 at 11:46 AM Authorized By: – Amplifies: – Five Year Review Date:…

All fines imposed shall be paid to the stewards. Unless an appeal has been filed with the commission, any person failing to pay a fine within ten days from the ruling date shall be suspended and may be referred to the commission for further action. When the appeal is terminated a…

No person shall pay the fine of another. The stewards shall remit all fine money to the commission. The commission may from time to time make disbursements for any worthy purpose pertinent to racing. Last updated May 11, 2026 at 11:46 AM Authorized By: 3769.03 Amplifies: 3769.03 …

If any licensed person uses improper language or threatens any racing official,uses profane or indecent language, carries or exhibits a deadly weapon, or otherwise disturbs the peace of any race track enclosure, they may be ejected, fined, suspended, or referred to the commission…

Any suspended person may be denied admission to any part of the grounds. Last updated June 8, 2026 at 9:51 PM Authorized By: 3769.03 Amplifies: 3769.03 Five Year Review Date: 5/28/2031 Prior Effective Dates: 3/15/1966, 1/1/1985

(A) If a person is suspended, ruled off, or expelled, every horse owned wholly or in part or trained by that licensee may also be suspended, ruled off, or expelled for the same period of time as the owner or trainer.(B) Under unusual circumstances and/or for justifiable reasons t…

If a person is suspended, ruled off, or expelled, they shall not be qualified as agent or otherwise, to subscribe for a race; to enter or to run any horse for themselves or anyone else. No horse which they own wholly or in part, or in the winnings of which they have an interest, …

If any persons are suspended, ruled off or expelled for fraudulent practice in relation to a horse, wholly or in part their property, they shall return all money and prizes which such horse has fraudulently won within ten days of the ruling date. Last updated May 11, 2026 at 11:4…

Any licensee fined, suspended, expelled, or any other penalty imposed by any stewards' ruling may appeal to the commission for a review of the decision. Such appeals shall be made in writing and must be filed with the stewards within forty-eight hours after notification of the ru…

(A) If a person or horse is suspended, expelled, ruled off, or otherwise ineligible, if a person's license is revoked, application for a license has been denied, or if a person or horse is under any other current penalty pursuant to the rules of a racing authority of any other st…

(A) In the event any person issues a check to the commission in payment of a license fee or for any other obligation and the check is returned for any reason, whoever issued said check shall be fined a minimum of fifty dollars and shall not be eligible to participate in racing un…

(A) In the event any violation of the rules should be determined after a race has been completed and the purse has been distributed, the following shall apply:(1) If such violation would disqualify a horse or horses, the owner or owners of said horse or horses shall forfeit the p…

h 119. PDF: No employee of any commercial track whose duties include the classification or entry of horses shall participate financially, directly or indirectly, in the purchase or sale of any horse which races at such meeting. Any person violating this rule shall be suspended by…

(A) For a violation of any rule in this chapter and unless a rule specifically precludes the stewards from doing so, the stewards, upon the concurrence of two such officials, may fine a licensee an amount not in excess of the amount permitted by section 3769.091 of the Revised Co…

(A) It is the intent of this rule to protect the integrity of horse racing, guard the health of the horse, and safeguard the interest of the public and racing participants through the prohibition or control of drugs, medications and substances foreign to the natural horse. In thi…

h 119. PDF: (A) The trainer shall be the absolute insurer of, and responsible for, the condition of the horse entered in a race, regardless of the acts of third parties. Should the chemical or other analysis of urine or blood specimens prove positive, showing the presence of any …

h 119. PDF: (A) The owner, trainer, groom or other representative must be present in the state testing barn when a test sample is taken from the horse, and must remain until the test sample is sealed. The official tag attached to a test sample shall be signed by the owner, traine…

h 119. PDF: (A) All horses that have been nerved shall be so designated on the front of the jockey club certificate and all claim authorization forms for such horses. It is the responsibility of the owner of the horse at the time the horse is nerved to see that this information i…

h 119. PDF: Any person licensed by the Ohio state racing commission who shall be found with any controlled substance as defined by the Ohio state board of pharmacy or narcotic drug in his/her possession while on the premises of any permit holder shall be fined and/or suspended by…

(A) No person shall have in his/her possession on the premises of a permit holder any nasogastric tube, drugs, chemicals which may be used as stimulants, hypodermic syringes or hypodermic needles or any other instrument which may be used for injection, or batteries or any other e…

h 119. PDF: (A) In order to ensure the public safety and protect the integrity of horse racing in the state of Ohio, the commission intends to regulate the use of any drug of abuse, as governed by division (A) of section 3719.011 of the Revised Code, by any licensee who is respon…

h 119. PDF: (A) The trainer shall be absolutely responsible for reporting to the stewards and/or to the commission veterinarian the death of any horse in the care of said trainer, which horse is currently stabled on the premises of the permit holder. Said report must be filed in …

h 119. PDF: In the event that a horse should die on the premises of a permit holder or elsewhere, the commission veterinarian or the state steward may order an autopsy to be performed on said horse for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of death. In the event that such autopsy…

(A) The commission veterinarian shall, whenever physically possible, collect a minimum of fifty milliliters of urine and a minimum of thirty milliliters of blood specimens from each horse selected for testing by the stewards.(1) The official laboratory shall retain all portions o…

h 119. PDF: (A) For a violation of any rule in this chapter and unless a rule specifically precludes the stewards from doing so, the stewards, upon the concurrence of two such officials, may fine a licensee an amount not in excess of the amount permitted by section 3769.091 of th…

In adopting rules of the commission, it is not the intention of the commission that they shall conflict in any way with the Ohio Revised Code or the Ohio rules of racing. The rules of the commission shall govern short distance racing whenever applicable. When not applicable, the …

h 119. PDF: Short distance racing shall be for a distance of less than one-half mile. Quarter horse racing shall be conducted on a straightaway for a distance not to exceed one-quarter mile. However, horses participating in quarter horse racing may participate in other short dist…