Connecticut Administrative Code
Title 12 - Taxation
574-A - The Operation of Thoroughbred Racing except as noted
Section 12-574-A2 - Definitions, constructions, interpretations

Universal Citation: CT Reg of State Agencies 12-574-A2

Current through September 9, 2024

(a) In applying the rules and regulations as contained herein, including all amendments thereto, the following definitions, constructions and interpretations shall apply:

(1) Act. Public Act 865 of the 1971 session of the general assembly together with any and all amendments thereto.

(2) Added money. The money which, in a stake race, an association adds to the nominating and starting fees.

(3) Age. The age of a horse is reckoned as beginning on the first of January in the year in which he is foaled.

(4) Applicant. Applicant shall mean, according to the requirement of the text:
(A) A person seeking to obtain an occupational license from the commission, or

(B) An individual, partnership or corporation seeking to obtain a license to conduct a thoroughbred race meeting pursuant to the act.

(5) Arrears. Arrears includes all moneys due for entrance forfeits, fees (including jockeys' fees), forfeitures, subscriptions, stake, purchase money in claiming races, and also any default in money incident to the rules.

(6) Association. An association is any individual, partnership or corporation, licensed to conduct a recognized thoroughbred race meeting pursuant to the act.

(7) Authorized agent. A person appointed by a written instrument signed by the owner and filed in accordance with the rules.

(8) Breeder. The owner of the horse's dam at the time of foaling.

(9) Breeding place. A horse is bred at the place of his birth.

(10) Claiming race, optional claiming race.
(A) A claiming race is one in which every horse running therein may be claimed in conformity to the rules.

(B) An optional claiming race is a race restricted to horses entered to be claimed for a stated claiming price and to those which have started previously for that claiming price or less. In the case of horses entered to be claimed in such a race, the race will be considered, for the purposes of these rules, a claiming race.

(11) Commission. The nine (9) commissioners of the commission on special revenue of the state of Connecticut as established by the act and their duly authorized representatives.

(12) Declaration. Means the act of withdrawing an entered horse from a race before the closing of overnight entries.

(13) Day. Shall mean, according to the requirement of the text:
(A) A period of twenty-four (24) hours, beginning at midnight.

(B) Any period of twenty-four (24) hours beginning at midnight and included in the period of a race meeting.

(14) Drug. Drug shall be deemed to include substances intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, cure or prevention of disease in man or other animals and substances (other than foods) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals.

(15) Entry. Means, according to the requirement of the text:
(A) A horse made eligible to run in a race.

(B) Two or more horses which are entered and run in a race which are owned by the same owner or trained by the same trainer.

(16) Equipment. As applied to a horse, equipment shall mean whips, blinkers, tongue straps, muzzles, nosebands, bits, shadow rolls, martingales, breast plates, bandages, boots and plates.

(17) Field. When the individual horses competing in a race exceed the numbering capacity of the tote, the highest numbered horse within the capacity of the tote, and all horses of a higher number, shall be grouped together and called the "field."

(18) Forfeit. Money due because of an error, fault, neglect of duty, breach of contract, or a penalty.

(19) Foul riding. Any and all acts of a jockey committed in the running of a race designed to gain unfair or unsportsmanlike advantage, to the end of improving his own chance or position in the race or of lessening the chance or position of another in the race.

(20) Fraudulent and/or corrupt turf practice. This shall mean any attempt to enrich oneself or associates, or gain any advantage, through unfair, unlawful or dishonest behavior in connection with the racing of horses.

(21) Free handicap. A free handicap is one in which no liability is incurred for entrance money, stake or forfeit, until acceptance of the weight, either directly or through omission to declare out.

(22) Futurity. A futurity race is a race for younger horses, usually two-year olds, in which entries are made a considerable time before the running of the race, often before the entered horse is born.

(23) Gender. References in these rules to the male gender shall be deemed to include the female gender unless the circumstances preclude such inclusion.

(24) Handicap. A handicap is a race in which the weights to be carried by the horses are adjusted by the handicapper for the purpose of equalizing their chances of winning.

(25) Highweight handicap. A highweight handicap is one in which the top weight shall not be less than 140 pounds.

(26) Horse. This includes mare, gelding, colt, filly and horse.

(27) Jockey. A jockey is a licensed jockey, or apprentice.

(28) Licensee. This shall mean, according to the requirement of the text:
(A) An association that has received a license from the commission to conduct thoroughbred horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering.

(B) A person who has an occupational license issued by the commission.

(29) Locked in the gate. Locked in the gate shall mean that a horse is prevented from leaving the post at off-time because of the failure of the front door of the gate to open simultaneously with the other doors, thus preventing said horse from starting when the other horses officially start.

(30) Maiden. A horse which, at the time of starting, has never won a race on the flat in any country at a recognized meeting held under the auspices of a legal racing authority.

(31) Match. A race between two horses the property of two different owners on terms agreed upon by them.

(32) Matinee. A program of races conducted upon a racetrack which concludes by 7:00 p.m., prevailing time.

(33) Minor. A minor shall be any person under the age of 18 years.

(34) Month. This shall mean a calendar month.

(35) Net pool. The total amount bet in a specific pool minus the deduction allowed by the act for the state and the association.

(36) Night performance. A program of races conducted upon a racetrack which begins at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time or later.

(37) Nominator. The nominator is the person in whose name a horse is entered.

(38) Off-time. Off-time is the moment at which, on signal of the starter, the horses break and start to run.

(39) Overnight race. A race for which the entries close seventy-two (72) hours (exclusive of Sundays), or less, before the time set for the first race of the day on which such race is to be run.

(40) Owner. Includes part-owner or lessee.

(41) Place. In racing shall mean first, second or third, and in that order is called "win," "place," and "show."

(42) Post position. The position assigned to the horse at the starting line of the race.

(43) Post race. A race in which the subscribers designate, at the usual time before a race for declaring to start, the horse or horses they are to run, without limitations of choice other than that prescribed by the rules of racing or the conditions of the race.

(44) Post time. The time set for the arrival at the starting point of the horses in a race and which must be shown a reasonable time prior to the race on a clock device, prominently displayed and clearly readable from the grandstand.

(45) Program. Shall mean according to the requirement of the text:
(A) A schedule of races of either a matinee or night performance.

(B) The schedule of races as prepared by the racing secretary and printed by the association for sale to the public.

(46) Purse. A race for money or other prize to which the owners of the horses engaged do not contribute.

(47) Race. Includes a stake, a purse, a sweepstakes, a private sweepstakes, a match or an overnight event, but does not include a steeplechase or hurdle race.

(48) Recognized meeting, or meeting. Any racing meeting given by an association in good standing, within the enclosure of any racetrack, licensed and conducted under the sanction of the act and the rules and regulations of the commission; and constituting the entire consecutive period of days (excluding Sundays only) that has been granted to the association by the commission to conduct thoroughbred racing.

(49) Ruled off. Means the act of debarring horses and/or persons from the grounds of an association and denying all racing privileges.

(50) Rules. The rules herein prescribed and any amendments or additions thereto.

(51) Scratch. The act of withdrawing an entered horse from the race after the closing or overnight entries.

(52) Scratch time. The time set by the association for the closing of applications for permission to withdraw from races of that day.

(53) Starter. This shall mean, according to the requirement of the text:
(A) A horse is a "starter" for a race when the stall doors of the starting gate open in front of it at the time the starter dispatches the horses.

(B) The official who effects the proper start of the horses in the race.

(54) Stewards. The stewards shall be deemed to mean the steward or stewards of the meeting, or their deputies or substitutes acting together, or such of them as may be acting at the time.

(55) Subscription. The act of nominating to a stake race.

(56) Suspended. Suspended shall mean that any privilege granted to a licensee of the commission by the officials of a racing meeting or by the commission has been withdrawn.

(57) Sweepstakes. A race in which the owners of the competing horses nominate their horse for participation and pay subscriptions, entrance and starting fees, whether money or any added prize is added or not (unless it is a private sweepstake). An overnight race, however, is never considered to be a sweepstakes race.

(58) Tote or tote board. This shall mean the totalisator.

(59) Track, or racetrack. This shall be deemed to mean any and all parts of the plant of a racing association, including, but not limited to, the racing strip, the approaches and entrances, the stands and all other accommodations and facilities afforded to the public, the stables, barns, paddocks, quarters of jockeys, and others employed in or about the track, judges' and stewards' boxes, photo-finish and film patrol plants, pari-mutuel offices, facilities and equipment, totalisator and public address system.

(60) Walk over. An event in which all horses but one in a proposed race are withdrawn, leaving that horse to walk over the prescribed course and distance of the proposed race

(61) Weight for age. A standard weight according to these rules. A "weight for age" race is one in which all horses carry weight according to the scale without penalties or allowances.

(62) Year. Shall mean a calendar year.

(63) Publicly owned corporations. Any corporation whose stock is available for purchase by the general public.

(64) Stock. Shall include common and preferred shares.

(b) Singular, plural. Singular words include the plural, except where the context otherwise requires.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Connecticut may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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