Administrative Rules of Montana › Department 8 - COMMERCE › Chapter 8.22 - BOARD OF HORSE RACING › Subchapter 8.22.30 - General Conduct of Racing › Rule 8.22.3001 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Current through Register Vol. 13, July 5, 2024
(1) No horse may
				start unless a registration certificate is first filed with the racing
				secretary. All entry forms shall be in the correct form as required by the
				board, shall be signed and shall be kept by the tract management for the
				duration of the meet, and for 30 days thereafter.
(2) All thoroughbred horses shall be
				registered with the New York Jockey Club.
(3) The official stud book and registry of
				the American Quarter Horse Association shall be recognized as the sole official
				registry for quarter horses.
(4)
				Other officially recognized breeds must be registered with their officially
				sanctioned breeding or registry associations and each association must be
				approved by the board before the registration certificate issued by said
				association will be accepted for purposes of entering and starting in a race.
(5) The rules of the board shall
				govern all races regardless of the breed of horse or type of race insofar as
				they are applicable. When not applicable the stewards may enforce the rules of
				the appropriate, recognized and approved association as long as such rules are
				not inconsistent with the rules of the board.
(6) For the purpose of encouraging the
				breeding within the state of valuable thoroughbreds, quarter horses, appaloosa
				and other purebred registered horses, at least one race each day at each race
				meeting shall be limited to Montana bred horses. If sufficient competition
				cannot be obtained among the Montana bred horses, said race shall be opened
				with Montana breds being preferred.
(7) A sum equal to 10% of the first place
				money of every purse won by a Montana bred horse shall be paid to the board for
				a breeder bonus and an equal sum shall be paid to the board for an owner bonus.
				Such amount shall be paid within 14 days from the date the race is won. The
				board shall distribute the bonuses to the appropriate breeders and owners
				within 30 days of the end of the race meet in which the bonus was earned. Such
				amount shall not be deducted from the advertised purse. Only the money
				contributed by the licensee conducting the race meet may be considered in
				computing the bonus.
(8) Licensees
				shall recognize as Montana bred any horse whose registration papers indicate
				that such horse was foaled in Montana. In the absence of positive
				identification of where the horse was foaled appearing on the registration
				papers, the owner must file with the board satisfactory written evidence
				showing that the horse was foaled in Montana before the horse may be entered in
				a Montana bred race, or may claim a breeders allowance or a Montana bred weight
				allowance.
(9) All Montana bred
				horses shall be allowed a weight allowance of five pounds in all races except
				handicaps, and stakes, Montana bred races and quarter horse races.
(10) When six horses are entered in a Montana
				bred race under six separate entries, such race shall be considered filled and
				shall be run. If a race is cancelled through a lack of that number of entries,
				the names of all horses entered in such cancelled race shall be immediately
				posted by the racing secretary. No race shall be cancelled without the approval
				of the stewards.
(11) If a stakes
				race is declared off, all subscription and entrance fees paid in connection
				with that race shall be refunded.
(12) Entries and declarations shall be made
				in writing and assigned by the assistant trainer, trainer or owner of the
				horse. Each race meeting shall provide blank forms on which entries and
				declarations are to be made.
(13)
				Entries may be made by telephone or facsimile but must be confirmed in writing.
(14) No person not having an
				interest in a horse, equal at least to the interest or property of any other
				one person is entitled to enter the horse in a race as the owner.
(15) Joint subscriptions and entries may be
				made by any one or more of the owners. However, all partners and each of them
				shall be jointly and separately liable for all fees and forfeitures.
(16) If entered for the first time, a horse
				shall be identified by stating his name, color, sex and age, and the name of
				his sire and dam, as registered. This description must be repeated in every
				entry until a description of the horse with his name has been published on the
				official program or the list of entries of the race meet, or in such other
				publication as the board may designate. In every entry after such publication,
				his name, color, sex and age will be sufficient.
(17) No horse shall be allowed to start in
				any race unless it has been tattooed or microchipped and fully identified;
				however, Arabians may be identified by either tattoo or freeze brand.
(18) No horse shall be allowed to
				start in any race that has not been fully identified and the certificate of
				registration properly endorsed to the current owner and on file in the office
				of the racing secretary. The stewards also may require that the certificate of
				registration be on file at the time of entry.
(19) A horse which during the past calendar
				year has started in a race shall not be entered at a Montana track unless and
				until the owner or trainer shall have furnished to the racing secretary at
				least 36 hours prior to such entry, performance records, as hereinafter
				designated. Such performance records shall show where and when said horse raced
				in his last three starts, the distance of each, the weight carried in each,
				amount earned in each, said horses finishing position in each and the official
				time in each. Such performance records furnished to the racing secretary shall
				be signed by the owner or trainer of the horse. Every licensee must post such
				performance records in five conspicuous spaces in the parimutuel area at least
				30 minutes before post time of every day's race.
(20) If the name of a horse is changed, the
				new name, together with the former name, shall be published in the official
				entries for the first three starts after the change has been made. No change of
				names will be acceptable unless first granted by the New York Jockey Club, the
				American Quarter Horse Association or other registry under which the horse is
				registered. Violation of any part of this rule shall cause the horse to be name
				a "ringer" and the horse and all persons connected with the violation shall be
				ruled off.
(21) No horse shall be
				permitted to enter or to start unless he is in the care of and saddled by a
				licensed trainer.
(22) No horse
				shall be permitted to start that has not been fully identified. Responsibility
				in the mater of establishing either the identity of a horse or his complete and
				actual ownership shall be as binding on the persons so identifying or
				undertaking to establish as it is on the person having the horse requiring
				identification and the same penalty shall apply to them in case of fraud or
				attempted fraud.
(23) All
				ownerships in a horse, except a trainer's percentage of his winnings, shall be
				filed with the racing secretary, before the horse shall start, as shall every
				change in ownership thereafter during the meeting.
(24) All horses must be eligible to start at
				time of entry.
(25) For purposes
				of further encouraging the breeding within the state of valuable purebred
				registered horses and to increase the market value and salability of said
				horses, at least 50% of all maiden races run each day at every Montana
				parimutuel race shall be written with Montana bred maidens preferred.
(26) A maiden seven year old or
				older shall not be eligible to enter or start in any race unless such horse has
				started in a race within the last 365 days and has recently had a successful
				veterinarian's examination. For purposes of this rule only, a maiden horse is a
				horse which at the time of starting has never won a race on the flat in any
				country.
(27) No Arabian shall run
				on any track in the state of Montana until it is a three year old.
(28) Any horse over 12 years old can run in
				Montana provided they have had one win in the pervious season.
(29) A horse shall not be qualified to be
				entered or to start in any race if owned in whole or in part, or if under the
				management, directly or indirectly of a disqualified person.
(30) In any entry from a disqualified person
				or a disqualified horse is received, such entry shall be void and any money
				paid for such entry shall be returned if the disqualification is disclosed 45
				minutes before post time for the race. Otherwise, any such money shall be paid
				to the winner.
(31) No horse on the
				starter's schooling list shall be entered for a race.
(32) No horse on the veterinarian's list
				shall be qualified to enter, or to start.
(33) No horse on the bleeders list shall be
				qualified to enter or to start.
(34) If a horse is sold to a disqualified
				person, said horse's racing engagement shall be void as of the date of sale.
(35) No trainer may enter more
				than two horses in a purse race or overnight event. When making a double entry
				in the same ownership or trainership, the owner or trainer must express a
				preference, and in no case may two horses start in the same ownership or
				trainership to the exclusion of a single entry unless that single entry is an
				"in today" horse.
(a) If a race is divided or
				split into two or more divisions, horses under the same ownership or
				trainership shall be placed in separate divisions, but the division in which
				they compete shall be drawn by lot.
(b) Multiple horses owned by the same racing
				interests shall be uncoupled in overnight races and stakes races for wagering
				purposes.
(c) An owner may enter
				multiple horses in stakes races. Stakes preferences and conditions will be used
				to determine eligibility in stakes races.