Stewards’ Tip of the Week – Getting Horses Off Lists
Most racing jurisdictions have a rule that prohibits a horse from starting in a race if the horse is on stewards’, veterinarian’s, starter’s, paddock judge’s or racing secretary/office lists in any jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, the horse may be prohibited from being entered if the horse is on one of these lists. There may also be a difference in prohibitions if the list is from the jurisdiction where the horse is being entered to race. Or, there may be a difference in prohibitions in the jurisdiction where the horse is being entered to race depending on the specific rule in the jurisdiction where the horse is on the list.
Prior to the beginning of the race meet and taking of entries, the stewards and racing office must thoroughly understand and cooperate concerning what is allowed in their jurisdiction when a horse that is entered is discovered to be on a list.
Every racing office has access to the InCompass RTO system where these lists are maintained and shared. See http://www.horseracingofficials.com/resources/Using_Lists_InCompass.pdf on how to properly utilize these lists. The best way to monitor horses on lists is to provide the stewards with “racing secretary ‘read only’ access” to RTO which will send an e-mail notification when an entry clerk accepts an entry of a horse that is on a list.
When a horse on a list is entered and the stewards receive the e-mail notification, the stewards should then determine if the horse should be allowed to enter pending being given an off date that is on or before the day of the race. Only the track that put the horse on the list can enter an off date. Generally, a horse on a list has least preference at time of entry and should not exclude another horse if the race over-fills.
The trainer should be informed that his/her horse is on a list and he should contact the racetrack or racing commission where the horse is on the list to determine what has to be done to have the horse removed. The stewards and race office can provide advice, contact numbers and possibly assistance for the trainer to accomplish this objective.
Contact numbers for commissions and racetracks are available through several sources. A copy of the ARCI Commission Directory can generally be obtained by a state steward by calling ARCI at 859-224-7070 or going to http://arci.com/about/. The TRA Directory of Racetracks can be obtained by track management if the track is a TRA member. The Jockey Club maintains an on-line directory of hot links to the web-sites of tracks, commissions, horsemen’s organizations and other horse related entities on a state by state basis at: http://www.jockeyclub.com/default.asp?section=Resources&area=17&report=S .
Stewards that are willing to assist the trainer with getting his/her horse off the list can generally contact the racing office at the track where the horse has been placed on the list and request to speak to the stewards, starter, paddock judge, regulatory veterinarian or racing office staffer who has placed the horse on their respective list. The stewards can then confirm the conditions that must be met for the horse to be removed from the particular list – workout at a specific distance with a minimum time, workout from the gate, workout in company, regulatory veterinarian exam, drug screen after the workout, schooling in the saddling paddock, schooling at the gate, etc. The trainer can then be informed as to what must be accomplished to get his/her horse off the list.
If the entry was taken pending getting the horse off the list by race day, and this is accomplished to everyone’s satisfaction, then the horse can race. If for whatever reason the necessary off date cannot be accomplished by race day, the horse is scratched.