Indiana Administrative Code
Title 71 - INDIANA HORSE RACING COMMISSION
Article 7.5 - FLAT RACING; RULES OF THE RACE
Rule 10 - Quarter Horse Time Trials
Section 10-1 - Time trials

(1) Except in cases where the starting gate physically restricts the number of horses starting, each time trial shall consist of no more than ten (10) horses.

(2) The time trials shall be raced under the same conditions as the finals. If the time trials are conducted on the same day, the horses with the ten (10) fastest times shall qualify to participate in the finals. If the time trials are conducted on two (2) days, the horses with the five (5) fastest times on the first day and the horses with the five (5) fastest times on the second day shall qualify to participate in the finals. When time trials are conducted on two (2) days, the racing office should make every attempt to split owners with more than one (1) entry into separate days so that the owner's horses have a chance at all ten (10) qualifying positions. The racing secretary shall try to separate trainers and then jockeys from having more than one (1) horse in a time trial.

(3) If the association's starting gate has less than ten (10) stalls, then the maximum number of qualifiers will correspond to the maximum number of starting gate post positions.

(4) If only eleven (11) or twelve (12) horses are entered to run in time trials from a gate with twelve (12) or more stalls, the association may choose to run finals only. If eleven (11) or twelve (12) horses participate in the finals, only the first ten (10) finishers will receive purse money unless the conditions of the race specify otherwise. This provision shall not apply to two (2) year old races.

(5) In the time trials, horses shall qualify on the basis of time and order of finish. The times of the horses in the time trial will be determined to the limit of the timer. The only exception is when two (2) or more horses have the same time in the same trial heat. Then the order of finish shall also determine the preference in qualifying for the finals. Should two or more horses in different time trials have the same qualifying time to the limit of the timer for the final qualifying position(s), then a draw by public lot shall be conducted as directed by the stewards. Under no circumstances should stewards or placing judges attempt to determine horses' qualifying times in separate trials beyond the limit of the timer by comparing and/or enlarging photo-finish pictures.

(6) Except in the case of disqualifying, under no circumstances shall a horse qualify ahead of a horse that finished ahead of that horse in the official order of finish in a time trial.

(7) Should a horse be disqualified for interference during the running of a time trial, it shall receive the time of the horse it is immediately placed behind plus one-hundredth (.01) of a second, or the maximum accuracy of the electronic timing device. No adjustments will be made in the times recorded in the time trials to account for head-wind, tail-wind, off-track, etc. In the case where a horse is disqualified for interference with another horse causing loss of rider or the horse not to finish the race, the disqualified horse may be given no time plus one-hundredth (.01) of a second, or the maximum accuracy of the electronic timing device.

(8) Should a malfunction occur with electronic timer on any time trial, finalists from that time trial will then be determined by official hand times operated by three (3) official and disinterested persons. The average of the three (3) hand times will be utilized for the winning time, unless one (1) of the hand times is clearly incorrect. In such cases, the average of the two (2) accurate hand times will be utilized for the winning time. The other horses in that race will be given times according to the order and margins of finish with the aid of the photo-finish strip, if available.

(9) When there is a malfunction of the timer during the time trials, but the timer operates correctly in other time trials, under no circumstances should the accurate electronic times be discarded and the average of the hand times used for all time trials. (The only exemption may be if the conditions of the stakes race so states, or states that in the case of a malfunction of the timer in trials, finalists will be selected by order finish in the trials.)

(10) In the case where the accuracy of the electronic timer and/or the average of the hand times are questioned, the video of a time trial may be used to estimate the winning time by counting the number video frames in the race from the moment the starting gate stall doors are fully open parallel to the racing track. This method is accurate to approximately three-hundredths (.03) seconds [sic., second]. Should the case arise where the timer malfunctions and there are no hand times, the stewards should have the option to select qualifiers based on the video time.

(11) Should there be a malfunction of the starting gate, and one (1) or more stall doors not open or open after the exact moment when the starter dispatches the field, the stewards may declare the horses with malfunctioning stall doors nonstarters. The stewards should have the option, however, to allow any horse whose stall door opened late, but still ran a time fast enough to qualify to be declared a starter for qualifying purposes. In the case where a horse breaks through the stall door, or the stall door opens prior to the exact moment the starter dispatches the field, the horse must be declared a nonstarter, and all entry fees refunded. In the case where one (1) or more, but not all stall doors open at the exact moment the starter dispatches the field, these horses should be considered starters for qualifying purposes, and placed according to their electronic time. If the electronic timer malfunctions in this instance, the average of the hand times or, if not available, the video time should be utilized for the horses declared starters.

(12) There will be an also eligible list only in the case of a disqualification for a positive drug test report, ineligibility of the horse according to the conditions of the race or a disqualification by the stewards for a rule violation. Should a horse be disqualified for a positive drug test report, ineligibility of the horse according to the conditions of the race or a disqualification by the stewards for a rule violation, the next fastest qualifier shall assume the disqualified horse's position in the final.

(13) If a horse should be scratched from the time trials, the horse's owner will not be eligible for a refund of the fees paid. If a horse that qualified for the final should be unable to enter due to racing soundness, or scratched for any reason other than a positive drug test report or a rule violation, the horse shall be deemed to have earned and the owner will receive, last place purse money. If more than one (1) horse should be scratched from the final, for any reason other than a positive drug test report or a rule violation, then those purse monies shall be added together and divided equally among those owners.