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

Current through July 10, 2024
Authority: IC
				  4-31-3-9
Affected: IC 4-31
Sec. 1.
Recommended rules for 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.