Pennsylvania Administrative Code

§ 205.381. Holding horses before start. Horses may be held on the backstretch not to exceed 2 minutes awaiting post time, unless delayed by an emergency.

§ 205.382. Starting two tiers of horses. (a) In the event there are two tiers of horses the withdrawing of a horse that has drawn or earned a position in the front tier shall not affect the position of the horses that have drawn or earned positions in the second tier. (b) Wheneve…

§ 205.383. Horse out of position at start. When a horse comes to the gate out of its assigned post position and gains an unfair advantage by moving either to the left or right of its assigned post position before the Starter gives the word ‘‘go’’ said horse may be disqualified an…

§ 205.384. Failure to follow instructions of the Starter. The driver of any horse refusing or failing to follow the instructions of the Starter as to the parade or scoring ahead of the pole horse may be fined or suspended by the Starter.

§ 205.385. Horses deemed to have started. The horses shall be deemed to have started when the word ‘‘go’’ is given by the Starter and all the horses must go the course except in case of an accident, broken equipment or any other reason in which it is the opinion of the Judges tha…

§ 205.386. Practice of emergency procedures. Every licensed Starter is required to check the starting gate for malfunctions before beginning any race meeting and to practice the procedure to be followed in the event of a malfunction. Both the Starter and the driver of the gate mu…

§ 205.387. Starting without a gate. When horses are started without a gate, the Starter shall have control of the horses from the formation of the parade until the Starter gives the word ‘‘go.’’ The Starter shall be located at the wire or other point of start of the race at which…

§ 205.388. Positions in winning heat. The horse winning a heat shall take the pole the succeeding heat, and all others shall take their positions in the order they were placed the last heat. When two or more horses shall have made a dead heat, their positions shall be settled by …

§ 205.389. Refunds of entry money. No refunds of entry money can be made for any purposes once the entered horse is in the control of the Starter.

§ 205.4. Removal of official. (a) Any racing official may be fined, suspended or the official’s license may be denied or revoked at any time for incompetency, failure to follow or enforce the provisions of this part, or any conduct detrimental to the sport. (b) In the event of th…

RACING RULES/CONDUCT OF THE RACE § 205.401. Driving violations. A driver shall not commit any of the following acts which are considered violations of the driving rules: (1) Change course or position, swerve in or out, or bear in or out during any part of the race in a manner as …

§ 205.402. Requirements for filing an objection. All complaints by drivers of any foul driving or other misconduct during the race must be made at the termination of the race unless the driver is prevented from doing so by an accident or injury. A driver who wishes to enter a cla…

§ 205.403. Driving violation committed by driver of coupled entry. If a person driving a horse as a coupled entry in the race, commits a racing violation or infraction as set forth in § 205.401 (relating to driving violations), the Presiding Judge shall set the offending horse ba…

§ 205.404. Placing of horses by the Judges. In case of interference, collision or violation of any of the previous restrictions, whether occurring before or after the start, the Judges may place the offending horse back one or more positions in that heat or race. In the event the…

§ 205.405. Fraudulent or unsatisfactory driving. (a) A race must be properly contested by every driver and horse in that race and must be driven to the finish. If the Presiding Judge believes that a horse was driven in an intentionally inconsistent manner or fraudulently, the Pre…

§ 205.406. Removal or substitution of driver. If in the opinion of the Presiding Judge a driver is unfit or incompetent to drive for any reason or refuses to comply with the directions of the Judges or is otherwise reckless in conduct and endangers the safety of horses or other d…

§ 205.407. Horse fails to finish heat. If for any reason, other than being interfered with or having broken equipment, a horse fails to finish after starting in a heat, that horse shall be ruled out of subsequent heats of the same race.

§ 205.408. Foot out of stirrup. As set forth in § 205.401 (relating to driving violations), improper conduct is forbidden in a race. After the starting gate is in motion, both feet of the driver must be kept in the stirrups at all times until after the finish of the race, except …

§ 205.409. Use of whip. (a) Drivers will be allowed whips not to exceed 4 feet, plus a snapper not longer than 6 inches. All whips are subject to inspection and measurement by the Presiding Judge or the Commission. The following actions shall be considered as excessive or indiscr…

§ 205.410. Other devices prohibited. The use of any goading or prodding device, chain, mechanical or electrical devices or appliances other than the ordinary whip or crop upon any horse in any race shall constitute a violation of this rule, regardless of whether the device is ope…

§ 205.411. Penalties for prohibited use of whip. (a) As set forth in § 205.409 (relating to use of whip), the brutal use of a whip or crop or excessive or indiscriminate use of the whip or crop shall be considered a violation of the rules of racing and shall be punished by the fo…

§ 205.412. Breaking from gait. (a) When a horse breaks from its programmed gait, the driver shall at once, where clearance exists, take the horse to the inside or outside and pull him to its gait. (b) The following shall be considered violations: (1) Failure to properly attempt t…

§ 205.413. Placing of breaking horse by Judges. (a) The Judges, may in their discretion, set back a breaking horse at the finish when a contending horse properly on its gait is lapped on the hind quarter of the breaking horse. Except, if the breaking horse was off stride due to i…

§ 205.414. Fraudulent breaking of horse. If, in the opinion of the Judges, a driver allows the horse to break for purposes of intentionally or fraudulently losing a heat, the driver may be fined, suspended or both. Cross References This section cited in 7 Pa. Code § 205.415 (rela…

§ 205.415. Calling and noting breaks. To assist in determining the matters contained in § § 205.413 and 205.414 (relating to placing of breaking horse by Judges; and fraudulent breaking of horse) and this section, it shall be the duty of one of the Judges to call out every break …

§ 205.416. Horse’s right of the course. Horses called for a race shall have the exclusive right of the course and all other horses must vacate the racetrack at once, unless permitted to remain by the Presiding Judge.

§ 205.417. Driver mounted in sulky at finish. A driver must be mounted in the sulky at all times during the race or the horse must be placed as a non-finisher.

§ 205.418. Use of wheel discs and mud fenders. It shall be the responsibility of the owner, trainer or driver to provide every sulky used in a race with solid one-color or colorless wheel discs on the inside and out-side of the wheel. The Presiding Judge may order the use of mud …

§ 205.419. Talking on the track. Excessive or unnecessary conversation, or both, between and among drivers while on the racetrack during the time when colors are required is prohibited. Any violation of this rule may be punished by a fine, suspension or combination thereof.

§ 205.420. Passing lane. (a) With the approval of the Commission, a licensed racing entity may remove the solid inside hub rail and extend the width of its homestretch up to 10 feet inward in relation to the width of the rest of the track to create the so-called passing lane. The…

§ 205.421. Pylon violations. (a) A driver must have full clearance of the pylons when entering the passing lane. A driver who drives inside of one or more pylons when entering or using the passing lane may be disqualified. (b) A horse while on stride, or part of the horse’s sulky…

§ 205.422. Removal of passing lane. The licensed racing entity, with the consent and approval its horsemen’s organization, may petition the Commission for the removal of the passing lane. The petition shall include all applicable and necessary information from the licensed racing…

EQUIPMENT § 205.431. Sulkies. (a) All racing sulkies must meet or exceed the standards approved by the USTA prior to being used in any pari-mutuel racetrack within this Commonwealth. The Commission may from time to time adopt any amended sulky standards and publish those standard…

§ 205.432. Use of hobbles. No horse shall wear hobbles in a race unless it starts in the race in the first heat and having so started shall continue to wear them to the finish of the race and any person found responsible for removing or altering a horse’s hobbles during a race or…

§ 205.433. Nasal strips. (a) The Commission shall authorize and permit non-medicated equine latex nasal strips to be used at pari-mutuel racetracks within this Commonwealth. All other artificial means of opening nasal passages are specifically prohibited. (b) Trainers must inform…

§ 205.434. Cornell Collar. The Cornell Collar may be used by trainers as an approved piece of equipment within this Commonwealth. Trainers shall notify the equipment checker and duly list the Cornell Collar as a part of the horse’s equipment.

§ 205.435. Trainer responsibility for horse equipment. It shall be the responsibility of the trainer to see that each horse under the trainer’s supervision is safely equipped for each race and if it is determined by the Judges that a horse has been raced with unsafe or faulty equ…

§ 205.436. Other equipment. (a) Any change in equipment must be approved by the Presiding Judge and must be shown on the racing program. Any owner or trainer who wishes to change any equipment on a horse from one race to another shall apply in writing to the Judges no later than …

CONDUCT AND DECORUM OF RACING PARTICIPANTS § 205.451. Improper language to officials. No owner, trainer, driver, groom, attendant of a horse or any other licensee shall use improper or inappropriate language to a Commission official, Commission employee or race official or be gui…

§ 205.452. Shouting. Continuous loud shouting or similar behavior is expressly forbidden during the conduct of a race.

§ 205.453. Committing assault or battery. No person at any time or place shall commit an assault or an assault and battery upon another.

§ 205.454. Betting on a horse other than own. No owner, trainer, driver or groom shall directly or indirectly place a bet on any other horse participating in the same race as the owner’s, trainer’s, driver’s or groom’s horse. Any wager placed by the owner, trainer driver or groom…

§ 205.455. Failure to report fraudulent or corrupt proposal. It shall be the duty of every licensee to immediately report to the Commission or the Presiding Judge if that licensee has been approached with an offer, suggestion or promise of a bribe or other thing of value to commi…

§ 205.456. Fraudulent or injurious conduct forbidden. Conduct on the part of a licensee, participant or patron, which is fraudulent or injurious in its nature or otherwise reflects negatively on the sport, although not specifically addressed by the Commission’s regulations, is st…

§ 205.457. Conspiracy to commit a violation. If two or more persons agree, plan, combine and conspire together in any manner and regardless of their location, for the purpose of violating any of the rules of racing and shall commit some act in furtherance of the plan it shall con…

§ 205.458. Withholding information in an investigation. In the course of an underlying investigation or hearing, where an oath is administered by the Judges, or other duly appointed person legally authorized to administer oaths, and the party knowingly testifies falsely or withho…

§ 205.459. Financial responsibility. A licensee may not knowingly accumulate unpaid obligations, default in obligations, issue drafts or checks that are dishonored or payment refused, or otherwise display financial irresponsibility reflecting negatively on the sport.