Indiana Administrative Code
Title 71 - INDIANA HORSE RACING COMMISSION
Article 7.5 - FLAT RACING; RULES OF THE RACE
Rule 2 - Declarations and Scratches
Section 2-2 - Scratches

(a) A scratch is the act of withdrawing an entered horse from a contest after the closing of entries.

(b) The scratch of a horse after closing shall be made by the owner, trainer, or their licensed designee with permission from the stewards.

(c) A horse may be scratched from a stakes race for any reason at any time up until forty-five (45) minutes prior to that race.

(d) No horse may be scratched from an overnight race without approval of the stewards.

(e) In overnight races, horses that are physically disabled or sick shall be permitted to be scratched first. Should horses representing more than eight (8) betting interests in the daily double or exotic wagering races, or horses representing more than eight (8) betting interests in any other overnight race, remain in after horses with physical excuses have been scratched, then owners or trainers may be permitted at scratch time to scratch horses without physical excuses down to such respective minimum numbers for such races. This privilege shall be determined by lot if an excessive number of owners or trainers wish to scratch their horses.

(f) Entry of any horse which has been scratched or excused from starting by the stewards because of a physical disability or sickness shall not be accepted until the expiration of a minimum of five (5) calendar days after such horse was scratched or excused and the horse has been removed from the veterinarian's list by the official veterinarian.

(g) The stewards will review all cases in which a horse is drawn into the body of a race at a licensed facility under the jurisdiction of the commission, while appearing in the entries in another racing jurisdiction during the entry period in Indiana. For the purpose of this rule, the entry period begins when the horse is entered in Indiana and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the day the horse is scheduled to race in Indiana. It shall be a violation of these rules for a licensee to scratch a horse in Indiana and race that horse in another jurisdiction during the entry period and for five (5) calendar days thereafter. Violations of this subsection, absent mitigating circumstances, shall be subject to a fine by the stewards. This subsection shall not apply to handicap and stake races, nor to horses on the also eligible list.