Pennsylvania Code › Title 58 - RECREATION › Part V - Harness Racing Commission › Chapter 183 - RULES OF RACING › DECLARATION TO START AND DRAWING HORSES › Section 183.197 - Qualifying races

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
Declarations for overnight events shall be governed by the
					 following:
(1) Within 2 weeks of being
				  declared in, a horse that has not raced previously at the gait chosen must go a
				  qualifying race under the supervision of the presiding judge or an associate
				  judge. No horse shall be permitted to race at a pari-mutuel track who does not
				  have at least one charted line by a licensed charter at the gait chosen. In
				  order to provide complete and accurate chart information on time and beaten
				  lengths, a standard photo-finish shall be in use.
(2) A horse that does not show a charted line
				  for the previous year must go a qualifying race as set forth in paragraph
				  (1).
(3) Any horse that fails to
				  race within 30 days after having started in the current year must go a
				  qualifying race as set forth in paragraph (1). However, at any race meeting
				  this period can be extended to 60 days upon receiving approval of the
				  Commission. The time period allowed shall be counted from the date of the last
				  race to and including the date of declaration. Horses entered and in to go in
				  race or races which are cancelled due to no fault of their own, shall be
				  considered to have raced in that race. In such cases preference shall revert
				  back to the last purse race and no start shall be counted for conditioned
				  purposes.
(4) When a horse has
				  raced at a charted meeting during the current year and then goes to meetings
				  where races are not charted, the information from the uncharted races may be
				  summarized, including each start, and consolidated in favor of charted lines.
				  The consolidated line shall carry date, place, time, driver, finish, track
				  conditions and distance if race is not at 1 mile.
(5) The judges may require any horse that has
				  been on the steward's list to go a qualifying race. If a horse has raced in
				  individual time not meeting the qualifying standards for that class of horse,
				  he may be required to go a qualifying race.
(6) The judges may permit a fast horse to
				  qualify by means of a timed workout consistent with the time of the races in
				  which he will compete.
(7) The
				  judges may institute standards or guidelines relating to the performance of the
				  horse which could cause him to qualify. However, such guidelines and standards
				  must be approved by the Commission.
(8) To enable a horse to qualify, qualifying
				  races should be held at least one full week prior to the opening of any meeting
				  and shall be scheduled at least twice a week. Qualifying races shall also be
				  scheduled twice a week during the meeting.
(9) If a horse takes a win race record in a
				  qualifying race, such record must be prefaced with the letter "Q" where it
				  appears, except in the case where, immediately prior to or following the race,
				  the horse taking the record has been submitted to an approved test. It will be
				  the responsibility of the presiding judge to report the test on the judge's
				  sheet.
(10) Races conducted for the
				  purpose of qualifying drivers only need not be charted, timed or
				  recorded.
This section cited in 58 Pa. Code §
												183.60 (relating to presiding
						judge); and 58 Pa. Code §
												183.92 (relating to program
						information).