NYRA Adds New Safety Rules for Belmont Park Meet
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
When the Belmont Park spring/summer meet kicks off June 3, the track will implement a number of racing rules to further enhance equine safety and to assist that trainers/owners are equitably represented in the entries due to the lengthy suspension of live racing on the New York Racing Association circuit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYRA, part of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, announced these new rules for horses coming off layoffs or making a career debut as a 4-year-old:
More than 180 days: Horses which have not started in more than 180 days, or less than 365 days, will be placed on the veterinarians' list and must be presented to the NYRA veterinarian prior to racing.
More than 365 days: Horses which have not raced in 365 days will automatically be added to the veterinarians' list and must satisfy the same requirements for removal from the veterinarians' list as horses designated as "unsound." If a start has not been made within 60 days of the NYRA veterinarians' clearance then the horse will be placed back on the veterinarians' list.
Horses making their first start after Feb. 1 of their 4-year-old year: Horses which have not made a start prior to Feb. 1 of their 4-year-old year will automatically be placed on the veterinarians' list and must satisfy the same requirements for removal from the veterinarians' list as horses designated as "unsound." If a start has not been made within 60 days of the NYRA veterinarians' clearance then the horse will be placed back on the veterinarians' list.
Waiver Claiming Option in Claiming Races
At the time of entry into a claiming race, an owner/trainer may opt to declare a horse exempt from being claimed. For the Belmont spring/summer meet, the following waiver claiming rule applies:
i. The horse has not started since March 16, 2020.
ii. The horse is entered for a claiming price equal to or greater than the price it last started for (horse must have started in a claiming race in the previous start to qualify).
iii. Failure to declare the horse exempt at the time of entry may not be remedied.
iv. The waiver rule can only be applied to said horse's first start following each such layoff.
New Trainer Entry Rule
In all overnight races, no same trainer entry will be allowed to draw into the body of a race to the exclusion of a different-trainer entrant. At the time of entry, trainers must designate a "different-owner first choice (DO1) and a "different-owner second choice (DO2)."
Stakes races are excluded from this rule. A different-owner second entry (DO2) is preferred over a same-owner second entry (SO2).
More information on the new rules is available on the NYRA website.