Delaware Administrative Code
Title 3 - Agriculture
1000 - Thoroughbred Racing Commission
1001 - Thoroughbred Racing Rules and Regulations
Section 1001-10.0 - Horses
Universal Citation: 3 DE Admin Code 1001-10.0
Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024
10.1 Registration required:
10.1.1 No horse may be entered or raced in the State unless duly registered and named in the registry office of the Jockey Club in New York and unless the registration certificate or racing permit issued by the Jockey Club for such horse is on file with the Racing Secretary except that, (a) for good cause, the Stewards, in their discretion, may waive this requirement if the horse is otherwise correctly identified to their satisfaction; and (b) the Stewards may, in their discretion, allow a horse to race provided that the registration certificate must be delivered to the racing office within 48 hours.
10.1.2 For steeplechase racing only, a Certificate for Racing Purposes Only issued by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association in New York can be acceptable within the meaning of this Rule.
10.2 Ringers Prohibited:
10.2.1 No horse may be entered or raced in this state designated by a name other than the name under which such horse is currently registered with the Jockey Club in New York or with any other authority recognized by the Commission. In the event a horse's name is changed by the Jockey Club, or any other authority recognized by the Commission, such horse's former name shall be shown parenthetically in the daily race program the first three times such horse races after such name change.
10.2.2 No person shall at any time cause or permit the correct identity of a horse to be concealed or altered nor shall any person refuse to reveal the correct identity of a horse he owns, or which is in his care, to a Racing Official.
10.2.3 No horse shall race in this State without a legible lip tattoo number applied by agents of the Thoroughbred Racing and Protective Bureau, except that for good cause the Stewards, in their discretion, may waive this requirement if the horse is otherwise correctly identified to the Stewards' satisfaction. The Stewards shall require that a horse without a lip tattoo number be lip tattooed within a reasonably practical time.
10.2.4 No horse may be entered or raced in this State if previously involved in a "ringer" case if:
10.2.4.1 a person having control of such horse knowingly entered or raced such horse while designated by a name other than the name under which such horse was registered with the Jockey Club or any other authority recognized by the Commission; or (2) such person having control of such horse participated in or assisted in the entry or racing of some other horse under the name registered as belonging to such horse in question.
10.3 Denerving:
10.3.1 Any horse on which a neurectomy has been performed shall have such fact designated on its registration certificate or racing permit. It shall be the joint responsibility of the practicing veterinarian who performed the operation and the Trainer of such denerved horse to insure that such fact is designated on the registration certificate or racing permit.
10.3.2 Any horse whose ulnar, radial or median nerve has been either blocked or removed (known as high nerved), or whose volar or plantar nerve has been blocked or removed, unilaterally or bilaterally, shall not be entered or raced in this State.
10.3.3 Any horse which has had a posterior digital neurectomy (known as low nerved) may be permitted to race provided such denerving has been reported by the Trainer to the Stewards and such horse has been approved for racing by the Commission's Veterinarian prior to being entered for a race.
10.3.4 In the event a horse races in violation of this Rule and participates in the purse distribution, then no protest thereon will be considered unless submitted in writing to the Stewards within 48 hours after such race.
10.3.5 In the event a horse races in violation of this Rule and is claimed, then no protest thereon will be considered unless the successful claimant submits such protest in writing within 48 hours requesting that his claim be voided. Should the claim be voided, the horse shall be returned to the Owner who started such horse in such race and the claim price shall be returned to the claimant.
10.3.6 A list of all denerved horses shall be posted in the Racing Secretary's Office. No person shall report a horse as having a neurectomy when in fact such horse has not.
10.4 Bleeders: Any horse known to have bled from its nostrils during a race or workout may not be entered or raced without the prior approval for racing by the Commission's Veterinarian. A horse which bled for the first time shall not be permitted to run for a period of ten (10) calendar days. A horse which bleeds a second time shall not be permitted to run for thirty (30) calendar days. A horse which bleeds a third time shall not be permitted to run for ninety (90) days. A horse which bleeds a fourth time shall be barred from further racing in the State of Delaware, except that if a horse's fourth bleeding incident occurs within one year of the first bleeding incident, then the horse shall not be barred but shall not be permitted to run for one year. If a horse has bled three times but at least twelve months have passed since the last bleeding incident, then if the horse bleeds for a fourth time, the horse shall not be permitted to run for twelve (12) months, and any further bleeding incidents will prevent the horse from racing for another twelve (12) month period. (A positive endoscopic examination shall be classed as a first time bleeder). See Rule 15.2 Bleeder Medication.
10.5 Health Certificate Required: Licensee, within its discretion, may require a health certificate from an accredited, practicing veterinarian of any horse stabled or to be stabled on its grounds.
10.6 Workouts: No horse may be schooled in the paddock or taken onto a track on Licensee's grounds for training or workout, other than during normal training hours as posted by Licensee, without the special permission of the Stewards.
10.7 Removal from Licensee's Grounds/Postmortem Examination:
10.7.1 No dead or sick horse may be removed from Licensee's grounds without the prior approval of the Commission's Veterinarian.
10.7.2 The Commission may conduct a postmortem examination of any horse that is injured in this jurisdiction while in training or in competition and that subsequently expires or is destroyed. In proceeding with a postmortem examination, the Commission or its designee shall coordinate with the trainer and/or owner to determine and address any insurance requirements.
10.7.3 The Commission may conduct a postmortem examination of any horse that expires while housed on a licensee's grounds within this jurisdiction. Trainers and owners shall be required to comply with such action as a condition of licensure.
10.7.4 The Commission may take possession of the horse upon death for postmortem examination. The Commission may submit blood, urine, other bodily fluid specimens or other tissue specimens collected during a postmortem examination for testing by the Commission-selected laboratory or its designee. Upon completion of the postmortem examination, the carcass may be returned to the owner or disposed of at the owner's option.
10.7.5 The presence of a prohibited substance in a horse, found by the official laboratory or its designee in a bodily fluid specimen collected during the postmortem examination of a horse, which breaks down during a race constitutes a violation of these rules.
10.7.6 The cost of Commission-ordered postmortem examinations, testing and disposal will be borne by the Commission.
10.8 Serviceable for Racing:
10.8.1 No horse may be entered or raced that:
10.8.1.1 is not in serviceable, sound racing condition. The Stewards may, at any time, cause a horse on Licensee's grounds to be examined by a qualified person.
10.8.1.2 is posted on a Veterinarian's list or Steward's list or is suspended in any racing jurisdiction;
10.8.1.3 has been administered any drug, medication or substance foreign to the natural horse in violation of these Rules;
10.8.1.4 is blind or has seriously impaired vision in both eyes;
10.8.1.5 is not correctly identified to the satisfaction of the Stewards;
10.8.1.6 is owned wholly or in part by, or is trained by, an ineligible person.
10.9 Equipment:
10.9.1 Riding crops or blinkers must be used consistently on a horse or not at all. Permission to change any equipment used on a horse in its last previous start must be obtained from the Stewards. A horse's tongue may be tied down for a race with a clean bandage or gauze. A horse's bridle may weigh no more than two pounds. War bridles are prohibited. No horse may race in ordinary training shoes. Bar shoes may be used for racing only with the permission of the Stewards.
10.9.2 Use on a horse either in a race or workout of any goading device, chain, electrical or mechanical device or appliance, other than the ordinary riding crop, which could be used to alter the speed of such horse is prohibited, except that spurs may be used in jumping races and, with the permission of the Stewards, during workouts.
10.9.3 No riding crop shall be used that weighs more than one pound or is longer than 30 inches with one popper; no stingers or projections extending through the hole of a popper or any metal part on a riding crop shall be permitted.
10.10 Sex Alteration:
10.10.1 Any alteration in the sex of a horse must be reported by such horse's Trainer to the Racing Secretary promptly, and the Racing Secretary shall note same on such horse's registration certificate.
Rule 10.1 and 10.2 Rev. March 1976.
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