Michigan Administrative Code › Department - Treasury › Michigan Gaming Control Board › Horse Racing General Rules › Part 3 - THOROUGHBRED RACING › Section R. 431.3060 - Official starter; duties

Current through Vol. 24-12, July 15, 2024
Rule 3060.
(1) The
				  official starter shall be responsible for the fair and equal start of all
				  horses at the scheduled starting time by utilizing a starting gate and bell or
				  other device activated by his or her signal. So far as is practical, the
				  official starter shall cause all horses to be loaded in order of post position,
				  but the official starter may, with the permission of the stewards, load an
				  unruly horse out of order. By permission of the stewards, a race may be started
				  without a starting gate.
(2) The
				  official starter may employ assistant starters as he or she considers necessary
				  and shall change the gate position of each assistant starter daily, without
				  notice to the assistant starters, until the field for the first race enters the
				  race course.
(3) A horse shall not
				  be permitted to start in a race unless approval is given by the official
				  starter. The official starter shall maintain a schooling list, which shall be
				  posted in the race office, of the names of all horses ineligible to start for
				  want of adequate training leaving the gate. Horses shall be schooled under the
				  supervision of the official starter or his or her assistants.
(4) The official starter shall report to the
				  stewards any disobedience of his or her orders or attempts to take unfair
				  advantage at the starting gate and shall recommend penalties for
				  offenders.
(5) An assistant starter
				  shall not handle a horse until instructed to do so by the official starter. An
				  assistant starter shall not strike a jockey or use abusive language when
				  addressing a jockey.
(6) An
				  official starter or assistant starter shall not accept any gratuity or payment
				  other than his or her regular salary, directly or indirectly, for services in
				  starting a race. An official starter or assistant starter shall not wager on a
				  race.
(7) The official starter
				  shall maintain a written record showing the names of all starters during the
				  day and the names of the assistant starters who handled each horse. Such record
				  shall be made available to the stewards upon request.
(8) The official starter shall have radio or
				  telephone communication with the stewards from the time the horses leave the
				  paddock until the field is dispatched.
(9) The official starter may recommend to the
				  stewards that disciplinary action be taken against any jockey, outrider, pony
				  rider, or other personnel under the official starter's control.
(10) Horses shall be schooled under the
				  supervision of the official starter or his or her assistant. The official
				  starter shall report horses that are sufficiently schooled to start to the
				  racing secretary. Unruly horses shall be placed on the schooling list and shall
				  not start until approved by the official starter. The schooling list shall be
				  respected in all cases.