NY Regulators Consider Trainer Education Rule
Description:
New York regulators are poised to approve a rule setting minimum annual continuing education thresholds for Thoroughbred trainers.
The requirement by the New York State Gaming Commission would set four hours a year as a floor for continuing education participation each year by trainers, including assistants. The rule is based upon the recommendation for states by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.
The rule is on the agenda for a commission board meeting scheduled for Nov. 1.
The minimum continuing education rule will, if given final adoption as expected, be a condition in order for trainers to be licensed in New York. Trainers not based in the state and who have 12 or fewer starts in a year in New York can request a waiver to the requirement.
The commission, in the proposed rule published in September, noted that The Jockey Club and stewards have for years offered complimentary continuing education for trainers. It did not rule out, however, the possibility that programs charging a fee could occur in the future, but that it based its free-of-charge estimate on “well-established, voluntary” programs now available.
“It is anticipated that such programs will be offered--and required—in most racing jurisdictions, and that the process of finding such programs and demonstrating compliance will be available online,’’ the proposed rule states. Providers of the training will be required to report names of trainers who complete continuing education coursework.