RULE 16.-STARTING.

Section 1. With Starting Gate.

(a) Starter's Control.‑The Starter shall have control of the horses from the formation of the parade until he gives the word "go."

(b) Scoring.‑After, one:‑or two preliminary warming up scores; the Starter shall' notify' the drivers‑to come to the starting gate. During of before the parade the drivers must be informed as to the number of scores permitted.

(c) The horses shall be brought to the starting gate no nearer than oneeighth of a mile before the start as the track will permit.

(d) Speed of Gate.‑Allowing sufficient time so that the speed of the gate can be increased gradually, the following minimum speeds will be maintained.

(1) For the first 1/8 mile, not less than 11 miles per hour.

(2) For the next 1/16 of a mile not less than 18 miles per hour.

(3) From that point to the starting point, the speed will be gradually increased to the maximum speed.

(e) On mile tracks horses will be brought to the starting gate at the head of the stretch and the relative speeds mentioned in sub‑section (d) above will be maintained.

(f) Starting Point.‑The starting point will be appropriately marked a distance of not less than two hundred feet from the first turn. The Starter shall give the word "go" at the starting point.

(g) WHEN A SPEED HAS BEEN REACHED IN THE COURSE OF A START THERE SHALL BE NO DECREASE EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF A RECALL.

(h) Recall Notice.‑In case of a recall, a light plainly visible to the driver shall be flashed and a recall sounded, but the starting gate shall proceed out of the path of the horses. At extended pari‑mutuel tracks in the case of a recall, wherever possible, the starter shall leave the wings of the gate extended and gradually slow the speed of the gate to assist in stopping the field of horses. In an emergency, however, the starter shall use his discretion to close the wings of the gate.

(i) There shall be no recall after the word "go" has been given and any horse, regardless of his position or an accident, shall be deemed a starter from the time he entered into the Starter's control unless dismissed by the Starter.

(k) Recall‑Reasons For.‑The Starter may sound a recall only for the following reasons:

(1) A horse scores ahead of the gate.

(2) There is interference.

(3) A horse has broken equipment.

(4) There is a malfunction of the starting gate.

(5) A horse falls before the word "go" is given.

(6) A horse comes to the gait out of position.

(I) Penalties.‑A fine not to exceed $100, or suspension from driving not to exceed 15 days, or both, may be applied to any driver, by the Starter for:

(1) Delaying the start.

(2) Failure to obey the Starter's instruction.

(3) Rushing ahead of the inside or outside wing of the gate.

(4) Coming to the starting gate out of position.

(5) Crossing over before reaching the starting point.

(6) Interference with another driver during the start.

(7) Failure to come up into position.

(8) After coming to the gate, failure to keep one line in each hand until the word "Go," except for the purpose of adjusting equipment. A hearing must be granted or waived before any penalty is imposed.

(m) Riding in Gate.‑No persons shall be allowed to ride in the starting gate except the Starter and his driver or operator, and a Patrol Judge, unless permission has been granted by this Association.

(n) Loudspeaker.‑Use of a mechanical loudspeaker for any purpose other than to give instructions to drivers is prohibited. The volume shall be no higher than necessary to carry the voice of the Starter to the drivers. The penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of not to exceed $500.00 or suspension not to exceed thirty days after hearing by the President or Executive Vice‑President.

§ 2. Holding Horses Before Start.‑Horses may be held on the backstretch not to exceed two minutes awaiting post time, except when delayed by an emergency.

§ 3. Two Tiers.‑In the event there are two tiers of horses, the withdrawing of a horse that has drawn or earned a position in the front tier shall not affect the position of the horses that have drawn or earned positions in the second tier. Whenever a horse is drawn from any tier, horses on the outside move in to fill up the vacancy. Where a horse has drawn a post position in the the second tier, the driver of such horse may elect to score out behind any horse in the first tier so long as he does not thereby interfere with another trailing horse or deprive another trailing horse of a drawn position.

§ 4. Starting Without Gate. ‑When horses are started without a gate the Starter shall have control of the horses from the formation of the parade until he gives the word "go." He shall be located at the wire or other point of the race ay which point as nearly as possible the word "go" shall be given. No driver shall cause unnecessary delay after the horses are called. After two preliminary warming up scores, the Starter shall notify the drivers to form in parade.

§ 5. The driver of any horse refusing or failing to follow the instructions of the Starter as to the parade or scoring ahead of the pole horse may be set down for the heat in which the offense occurs, or for such other period as the Starter shall determine, and may be fined from $10 to $100. Whenever a driver is taken down the substitute shall be permitted to score the horse once. A horse delaying the race may be started regardless of his position or gait and there shall not be a recall on account of a bad actor. If the word is not given, all the horses in the race shall immediately turn at the tap of the bell or other signal, and jog back to their parade positions for a fresh start. There shall be no recall after the starting word has been given.

§ 6. Starters.‑The horses shall be deemed to have started when the word "go" is given by the Starter and all the horses must go the course except in .case of an accident, broken equipment, or any other reason in which it is the opinion of the Judges that it is impossible or unsafe to go the course..

§ 7. Unmanageable Horse.‑ If in the opinion of the Judges or the Starter a horse is unmanageable or liable to cause accidents or injury to any other, horse or to any driver it may be sent to the barn. When this action is taken the Starter will notify the Judges who will in turn notify the public.

§ 8. Bad Acting Horse.‑At meetings where there is no wagering, the Starter may place a bad acting horse on the outside at his discretion. At parimutuel meetings such action may be taken only where there is time for the Starter to notify the Judges who will in turn notify the public prior to the sale of tickets on such race. If tickets have been sold, the bad acting horse must be scratched under the provision of Section 7 herein.

§ 9. Post Positions‑Heat Racing.‑The horse winning a heat shall take the pole (or inside position) the succeeding heat, unless otherwise specified in the published conditions, and all others shall take their positions in the order they were placed the previous heat. When two or more horses shall have made a dead heat, their positions shall be settled by lot.

§ 10. Shield.‑The arms of all starting gates shall be provided with a screen or a shield in front of the position for each horse, and such arms shall be perpendicular to the rail.

§ 11. Every licensed starter is required to check his starting gate for malfunctions before commencing any meeting, and to practice the procedure to be followed in the event of a malfunction. Both the starter and the driver of the gate must know and practice emergency procedures, and the starter is responsible for the training in such procedures of drivers,

§ 12. When a horse comes to the gate out of its assigned post position and gains an unfair advantage by moving either to the left or right of its assigned post position before the starter gives the word "go," said horse may be disqualified and placed by the judges.

Section 1. Licensing of Drivers.‑No person shall drive a horse in any race on a track in membership with this Association without having first obtained from this Association an Active Membership including a driver's license. Any person violating this rule shall be fined the sum of $25.00 for each offense, and no license shall be issued thereafter until such fines have been paid.

Section 1. Although a leading horse is entitled to any part of the track except after selecting his position in the home stretch, neither the driver of the first horse or any other driver in the race shall do any of the following things, which shall be considered violation of driving rules:

(a) Change either to the right or left during any part of the race when another horse is so near him that in altering his position he compels the horse behind him to shorten his stride, or causes the driver of such other horse to pull him out of his stride.

(b) Jostle, strike, hook wheels, or interfere with another horse or driver.

(c) Cross sharply in front of a horse or cross over in front of a field of horses in a reckless manner, endangering other drivers.

(d) Swerve in and out or pull up quickly.

(e) Crowd a horse or driver by "putting a wheel under him."

(f) Carry a horse. out.

(g) Sit down in front of a horse or take up abruptly in front of other horses so as to cause confusion or interference among trailing horses.

(h) Let a horse pass inside needlessly or otherwise help another horse to improve his position in the race.

(i) Commit any act which shall impede the progress of another horse or cause him to break.

(j) Change course after selecting a position in the home stretch or swerve in an out, or bear in and out, in such a manner as to interfere with another horse or cause him to change course or take back.

(k) To drive in a careless or reckless manner.

(l) Kicking the horse, which shall be defined as a blow or thrust with the foot against any part of the horse's body or to impel by striking with the foot. Removal of a foot from the stirrups in and of itself shall not constitute the offense of kicking. The penalty for kicking as defined herein shall not be less than 9 days suspension.

(m) Crossing the inside limits of the course.

§ 2. All complaints by drivers of any foul driving or other misconduct during the heat must be made at the termination of the heat, unless the driver is prevented from doing so by an accident or injury. Any driver desiring to enter a claim of foul or other complaint of violation of the rules, must before dismounting indicate to the judges a desire to enter such claim or complaint and forthwith upon dismounting shall proceed to the telephone or Judges' stand where and when such claim, objection, or complaint shall be immediately entered. The Judges shall not cause the official sign to be displayed until such claim, objection, or complaint shall have been entered and considered.

§ 3. If any of the above violations are committed by a person driving a horse coupled as an entry in the betting, the Judges shall set the offending horse back. The horse coupled in the entry with the offending horse shall also be set back if the Judges find that it improved its finishing position as a direct result of the offense committed by the offending horse.

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4 In case of interference, collision, or violation of any of the above restrictions, whether occurring before or after the start, the Judges may place the offending horse back one or more positions in that heat or dash, and in the event such collision or interference prevents any horse from finishing the heat or dash, the offending horse may be disqualified from receiving any winnings; and the driver may be fined not to exceed the amount of the purse or stake contended for, or may be suspended or expelled. In the event a horse is set back, under the provisions hereof, he must ­be placed behind the horse with whom he interfered.

§ 5. (a) Every heat in a race must be contested by every horse in the race and every horse must be driven to the finish. If the Judges believe that a horse is being driven,. or has been driven heretofore, with design to prevent his winning a heat or dash which he was evidently able to win, or is being raced in an intentional inconsistent manner, or to perpetrate or to aid a fraud, they shall consider it a violation and the driver, and anyone in concert with him, to so affect the outcome of the race or races, shall be fined, suspended, or expelled. The Judges may substitute a competent and reliable driver at any time. The substituted driver shall be paid at the discretion of the Judges and the fee retained from the purse money due the horse, if any.

(b) .In the :event a drive is unsatisfactory due to lack of effort or carelessness; and the Judges believe that there is no fraud, gross carelessness; or a deliberate inconsistent drive they shall impose a penalty under this subsection including, but not limited to a fine, suspension or revocation.

§ 6. If in the opinion of the Judges a driver is for any reason unfit or incompetent to drive or refuses to comply with the directions of the Judges, or is reckless in his conduct and endangers the safety of horses or other drivers in the race, he may be removed and another driver substituted at any time after the positions have been assigned in a race, and the offending driver shall be fined, suspended or expelled. The substitute driver shall be properly compensated.

§ 7. If for any cause other than being interfered with or broken equipment, a horse fails to finish after starting in a heat, that horse shall be ruled out of subsequent heats of the same race.

§ 8. Loud shouting or other improper conduct is forbidden in a race. After the starting gate is in motion, both feet must be kept in the stirrups until after the finish of the race, except that a driver shall be allowed to remove a foot from the stirrups temporarily for the purpose of pulling earplugs.

§ 9. Drivers will be allowed whips not to exceed 3 feet, 9 inches, plus a snapper not longer than 6 inches. Provided further that the following actions shall be considered as excessive or indiscriminate use of the whip:

a. Causing visible injury.

b. Whipping a horse after a race.

c. Whipping under the arch or shafts of the sulky.

The use of the whip shall be confined to an area above and between the sulky shafts, to include the sulky shafts and the outside wheel discs. Drivers shall keep a line in each hand from the start of the race until the head of the stretch finishing the race. At extended pari‑mutuel meetings, under the supervision of the judges, there shall be a mandatory visual inspection of each horse following each race for evidence of excessive or brutal use of the whip. At all other meetings, the judges shall have the authority to order and/or conduct such visual inspections at their discretion.

§ 10. The use of any goading device, chain or mechanical devices or appliances, othe than the ordinary whip or crop upon any horse in any race shall constitute a violation of this rule.

§ 11. The brutal use of a whip or crop or excessive or indiscriminate use of the whip or crop shall be considered a violation and shall be punished by a fine and/or suspension. The mandatory minimum penalty for a whipping violation shall be a fine in the amount of $100.00 and a 3 day suspension from driving for the first offense, and for each subsequent violation the mandatory minimum penalty shall increase in the amount of $100.00 and 3 days (e.g. $200.00 and 6 days for the 2nd offense, $300.00 and 9 days for the 3rd offense, etc.)

§ 12. No horse shall wear hopples in a race unless he starts in the same in the first heat, and having so started, he shall continue to wear them to the finish of the race, and any person found guilty of removing or altering a horse's hopples during a race, or between races for the purpose of fraud, shall be suspended or expelled. Any horse habitually wearing hopples shall not be permitted to start in a race without them except by the permission of the Judges. Any horse habitually racing free legged shall not be permitted to wear hopples in a race except with the permission of the Judges. No horse shall be permitted to wear a head‑pole protruding beyond its nose.

§ 13 Breaking

(a) When any horse or horses break from their gait in trotting or pacing, their drivers shall at once, where clearance exists, take such horse to the outside and pull it to its gait.

(b) The following shall be considered violations of Section 13 (a);

(1) Failure to properly attempt to pull the horse to its gait.

(2) Failure to take to the outside where clearance exists.

(3) Failure to lose ground by the break.

(c) Any breaking horse shall be set back when a contending horse on its gait is lapped on the hind quarter of the breaking horse at the finish.

(d) Any horse making a break which causes interference to other contending horses may be placed behind all offended horses; if there has been no failure on the part of the driver of the breaking horse in complying with subsection (b) of this rule, no fine or suspension shall be imposed on the driver as a consequence of the interference.

(e) The Judges may set any horse back one or more places if in their judgement any of the above violations have been committed.

§ 14. If in the opinion of the Judges, a driver allows his horse to break for the purpose of fraudulently losing a heat, he shall be liable to the penalties elsewhere provided for fraud and fouls.

§ 15: To assist in determining the matters contained in Sections 13 and 14, it shall be the duty of one of the Judges to call out every break made, and the clerk shall at once note the break and character of it in writing.

§ 16. The time between separate heats of a single race shall be no less than 40 minutes. No heat shall be called after sunset where the track is not lighted for night racing.

§ 17. Horses called for a race shall have the exclusive right of the course, and all other horses shall vacate the track at once, unless permitted to remain by the Judges.

§ 18. In the case of accidents, only so much time shall be allowed as. the Judges may deem necessary and proper.

§ 19. A driver must be mounted in his sulky at the finish of the race or horse must be placed as not finishing.

§ 20 It shall be the responsibility of the owner and trainer to provide every sulky used in a race with unicolored or colorless wheel discs on the inside and outside of the wheel of a type approved by the Executive Vice President or by a Harness Racing Commission. In his discretion, the Presiding Judge may order the use of mud guards at pari‑mutuel tracks.

§ 21. A trainer who trains and races a horse knowing said horse to be owned wholly or in part by a person or persons barred or otherwise disqualified from participating in racing shall be suspended from membership in this Association for a minimum of one year.

§ 22. Excessive and/or unnecessary conversation between and among drivers while on the racetrack during the time when colors are required is prohibited. Any violation of this rule may be punished by a fine, suspension or combination thereof.

§ 23. If at a racetrack which does not have a continuous solid inside hub rail, a horse or part of the horse's sulky leaves the course by going inside the hub rail or other demarcation which constitutes the inside limits of the course, the offending horse shall be placed one or more positions where, in the opinion of the judges, the action gave the horse an unfair advantage over other horses in the race, or the action helped the horse improve its position in the race. In addttion, when an act of interference causes a horse or part of‑the horse's sulky to cross the inside limits of the course, and the horse is placed by the judges, the offending horse shall be placed behind the horse with which it interfered.

§ 24. Any violation of any sections of Rule 18 above, unless otherwise provided, may be punished by a fine or suspension, or both, or by expulsion. Provided, however, that where a penalty is to be imposed for an act of interference, said penalty shall be in days suspended.