Code of Maine Rules › 01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY › 017 - MAINE STATE HARNESS RACING COMMISSION › Chapter 7 - RACING › Section 017-7-20 - Early Closing Events and Late Closing Events

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1. The sponsor shall state the place and date
				the event will be raced and no change in date, program, events or conditions
				can be made after the nominations have been taken without the written consent
				of the owner or trainer of all horses eligible at the time the conditions are
				changed. An entry blank shall be filed with the United States Trotting
				Association. In early and late closing events, all nominations and payments
				other than starting fees shall be advertised to fall on the fifteenth day of
				the month. A complete list of nominations to any early or late closing event
				shall be published within twenty (20) days after the date of closing and mailed
				to each nominator, the Commission, and the United States Trotting Association.
				If the event does not fill, each nominator, the Commission and the United
				States Trotting Association shall be notified within ten (10) days and a refund
				of nomination fees shall accompany the notice.
Unless an Association submits its early closing conditions to
				  the Commission at least 30 days prior to the first publication, and has such
				  conditions approved by the Commission, the following provisions will govern
				  transfers in the event of a change of gait.
If conditions published for early closing events allow a
				  transfer for change of gait, such transfer shall be to the slowest class the
				  horse is eligible to at the chosen gait. The horse's eligibility will be
				  determined at time of closing of entries, the race to which transfer may be
				  made must be the one nearest the date of the event originally entered.
Two-year-olds, three-year-olds, or four-year-olds, entered in
				  classes for their ages, may only transfer to classes for the same age group at
				  the chosen gait to the race nearest the date of the event originally entered,
				  entry fees to be adjusted.
The entrance fee may be on an installment basis or otherwise,
				  and all payments are nonrefundable.
2.
Notification of Withdrawal
.
				If subsequent payments are required, a complete list of those withdrawn or
				declared out shall be made within fifteen (15) days after the payment was due
				and the list mailed to each nominator, the Commission, and the United States
				Trotting Association.
3.
Trusts
. All fees paid in early or late closing events shall be
				segregated and held as trust funds until the event is contested.
4.
Conditions
. Conditions of
				Early Closing Events or Late Closing Events that will eliminate horses
				nominated to an event or add horses that have not been nominated to an event by
				reason of the performance of such horses at an earlier meeting held the same
				Racing Year are invalid. Early Closing Events and Late Closing Events shall
				have not more than two also eligible conditions. Also eligible conditions that
				have the effect of backing a horse up more than two classes are
				prohibited.
5.
Entry
				Fees
. When total entry fees exceed 85 percent of the advertised purse
				value, the amount in excess of 85 percent shall be added to the purse. Where
				the race is split into divisions, each division shall have a purse value of not
				less than 75 percent of the advertised purse. In all cases the sponsor shall
				add at least fifteen percent to the advertised purse.
6.
Entries Not Covered by
				Conditions
. All entries and payments not governed by published
				conditions shall be void and any proposed deviation from such published
				conditions shall be punishable by suspension for each offense. Any nominator
				who is allowed privileges not in accordance with the published conditions of
				the race or which are in conflict with these rules, shall be barred from
				winning any portion of the purse, and the said nominator and the secretary or
				other persons who allowed such privileges shall be deemed to have been parties
				to a fraud.
7. In early closing
				events or late closing events, if six or more interests are declared in to
				start, the race must be contested, except when declared off. Stakes and
				Futurities must be raced if one or more horses are declared in to start except
				when declared off.
In an early closing event if fewer horses are declared in
				  than are required to start, and all declarers are immediately so notified, the
				  horse or horses declared in shall be entitled to all of the entrance money and
				  forfeits from each horse named.
8.
Elimination Heats or Two
				Divisions
A. In any race where the
				number of horses declared in to start exceeds 12, the race must be raced in
				elimination heats or divisions. No more than two tiers of horses, allowing
				eight feet per horse, will be allowed to start in any race.
B. The race shall be divided by lot. In the
				event there is any series in excess of three (3) preliminary legs, the
				published conditions may provide otherwise. If three or more divisions are
				necessary, the track shall add an amount sufficient to allow each division to
				race for at least the same amount as if there were two divisions. In an added
				money early closing event, the race may be divided and raced in divisions and
				each division raced for an equal share of the total purse if the advertised
				conditions so provide. Extended meetings shall add an additional amount so that
				each division will race for 75 percent of the advertised added money. These
				provisions shall apply to any early or late closing event with a value of
				$20,000.00 or less in excess of three (3) legs.
C. In any stake race or futurity, where the
				conditions state that the event shall be raced one dash on a race track of less
				than a mile, and where the number of horses declared in to start exceed twelve,
				the race, at the option of the track conducting the same, stated before
				positions are drawn, may be divided by lot and raced in two elimination
				divisions with all money winners from both divisions competing in the final.
				Each division shall race one elimination heat for 20 percent of the total
				purse. The remainder of the purse shall be distributed to the money winners in
				the final.