Kentucky Administrative Regulations
Title 810 - PUBLIC PROTECTION CABINET - KENTUCKY HORSE RACING COMMISSION
Chapter 4 - Flat and Steeplechase Racing
Section 810 KAR 4:020 - Weights
Universal Citation: 810 KY Admin Regs Service 4:020
Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, March 1, 2024
RELATES TO: KRS 230.215, 230.260
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 230.215(2) authorizes the commission to promulgate administrative regulations prescribing conditions under which all horse racing is conducted in the Commonwealth. This administrative regulation provides the requirements for assigning weights to a horse in a race.
Section 1. Weight Assignments for Horses.
(1) Weight allowance
shall be claimed at time of entry and shall not be waived after the posting of
entries, except by consent of the stewards.
(2) A horse shall start with only the weight
allowance to which it is entitled at the time of starting, regardless of its
allowance at time of entry.
(3)
Weight penalties shall be mandatory. A horse incurring a weight penalty for a
race shall not be entitled to any weight allowance for that race. A horse not
entitled to the first weight allowance in a race condition shall not be
entitled to any subsequent allowance specified in the race
conditions.
(4) Claim of weight
allowance to which a horse is not entitled shall not disqualify the horse,
unless protest is made in writing and lodged with the stewards at least one (1)
hour before post time.
(5) A horse
shall not incur a weight penalty or be barred from any race for having been
placed second or lower in any race. A horse shall not be given a weight
allowance for failure to finish second or lower in any race.
(6)
(a)
Except as established in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a horse shall not
receive weight allowance and shall not be relieved of extra weight for having
been beaten in one (1) or more races.
(b) A horse may receive weight allowances if
it has not won a race within a specified period or a race of a specified value
as set forth in the race conditions.
(7) Penalties incurred and allowances due in
steeplechase or hurdle races shall not apply to races on the flat, and vice
versa.
(8) In determining
eligibility, allowances, and penalties, the reports, records, and statistics as
recorded in racing publications shall be considered official, but may be
corrected by the publisher up to forty-five (45) minutes prior to post time of
the race.
(9) A maiden winning at
an unrecognized meeting shall lose the maiden condition. All other horses
winning at unrecognized meetings shall not be considered winners for weight
allowance or eligibility in races run thereafter under the jurisdiction of the
commission.
(10) A thoroughbred
horse shall not be assigned a weight of less than 118 pounds, unless:
(a) Apprentice allowance is
claimed;
(b) The horse is assigned
a weight of less than 118 pounds in a handicap race by the racing
secretary;
(c) The horse is a three
(3) year old entered to run in a race against horses four (4) years old and
older from January 1st through September 1, in which case the horse shall not
be assigned a weight less than 116 pounds; or
(d) The filly and mare weight allowance in
subsection (11) applies.
(11) Except in handicaps, thoroughbred
fillies two (2) years old shall be allowed three (3) pounds, and thoroughbred
fillies and mares three (3) years old and older shall be allowed five (5)
pounds before September 1, and three (3) pounds thereafter in a race that
includes horses of the opposite sex.
(12) Arabian minimum scale weights shall be
120 pounds for two (2) year-olds, 122 pounds for three (3) year-olds, and 124
pounds for four (4) year-olds and older.
(13) Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, and Paint
Horse minimum scale weights shall be 124 pounds for two-year-olds, 126 pounds
for three-year-olds, and 128 pounds for four-year-olds and older.
(14) Five (5) pounds shall be the limit of
overweight any horse is permitted to carry.
Section 2. Jockey Weight Procedures and Requirements.
(1) Jockeys shall be weighed out
for their respective mounts by the clerk of scales not less than fifteen (15)
minutes before post time. Only valets furnished by the association shall assist
a jockey in weighing out.
(2) A
jockey's weight shall include:
(a)
Clothing;
(b) Boots;
(c) Saddle and its attachments; and
(d) Any other equipment except as specified
in this subsection.
(3)
A jockey's weight shall not include:
(a)
Riding crop;
(b) Bridle;
(c) Bit;
(d) Reins;
(e) Safety helmet;
(f) Safety vest;
(g) Blinkers;
(h) Goggles;
(i) Over-girth;
(j) Breast collar; and
(k) Number cloth.
(4) After a race has been run, the jockey
shall ride promptly to the finish line, dismount, and present himself to the
clerk of scales to be weighed in. The jockey shall carry to the clerk of scales
all pieces of equipment with which he or she weighed out. The post-race
weighing of a jockey shall include any sweat, dirt, and mud that have
accumulated on the jockey, jockey's clothing, jockey's safety helmet, jockey's
safety vest, and over-girth.
(5)
Each jockey shall weigh in at no less than the weight at which he or she
weighed out. If short, the stewards shall investigate and if warranted take
disciplinary action against the individual or individuals responsible for the
violation, including disqualification of the horse from receiving what would
otherwise be its share of the purse.
(6) If a jockey is prevented from riding his
or her mount to the finish line because of an accident or illness either to
himself or his mount, the jockey may walk or be carried to the scales, or the
jockey may be excused by the stewards from weighing in.
(7) A notice shall be included in the daily
program that:
(a) Each jockey shall carry
approximately three (3) pounds more than the published weight to account for
safety helmets and safety vests not included in required weighing out
procedures; and
(b) Upon approval
of the stewards, a jockey may be allowed up to three (3) pounds additional
clothing and equipment for inclement weather or track conditions.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 230.215(2), 230.260
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Kentucky 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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