What defines a horse’s chance to respond after a jockey uses the riding crop in a race? What are the grey areas of out-of-competition drug testing when horses aren’t at a racetrack or have changed trainers?

The questions that appear above are among the topics that the Association of Racing Commissioners International’s Model Rules Committee will take up at Thursday afternoon (December 7) and Friday morning (December 8) at the Omni Tucson National Resort and Spa. ARCI represents the only independent entities recognized by law to license, make and enforce rules and adjudicate matters pertaining to pari-mutuel racing.

ARCI’s model rules committee is charged with developing rules and regulations based on fairness, practicality and enforceability with the ultimate mission of what is in the best interest of safety, horses’ welfare, the betting public and integrity of the game. The model rules, once approved by the ARCI board, become the blueprint for adoption by individual states’ regulatory bodies.

The model rules committee is chaired by Larry Eliason of the South Dakota Commission on Gaming and its members include regulators who have experience as trainers, track operators, owners, jockeys, stewards, attorneys, and in law enforcement.

Among the items for discussion and possible action include:

• How to best define a horse’s ‘chance to respond’ in the rule regarding the use of a riding crop and what constitutes appropriate use or abuse. An ARCI subcommittee worked with the Jockeys’ Guild and Racing Officials Accreditation Program to draft a clarification in hopes of giving each board of stewards guidance in what constitutes giving a horse a chance to react to the crop before the rider uses it again.

• Proposed requirement that the owner or trainer of any horse that is claimed must provide information to the new connections about any joint treatments or corticosteroid injections during the prior 30 days.

• Revisions to the trainer responsibility rule to address horses having positive drug tests during out-of-competition training when unique factors exist, including if the horse is not under the care and control of a licensed trainer; is located off-track, such as being turned out at a farm or in a non-racing state; or the drug in question is detectable for longer than the trainer or owner have had the horse.

• A proposal to mandate that trainers maintain more-detailed records of horses in their care.

• Language to strengthen the confidentiality of equine medical records filed by private veterinarians with the regulatory authority.

The committee is also expected to discuss creation of a model rule for fantasy/tournament wagering and the different regulatory philosophies on what constitutes interference in a race.

Information about matters pending before the ARCI Model Rules Committee can be accessed at arcimodelrules.online.

(ARCI)