Chapter 12: Qualifying Races
12.01 Qualifying races and starting gate schooling shall be held according to the demand as determined by the Registrar. The Registrar’s decision with respect to this rule is not subject to appeal.
12.02 Declarations for overnight events, other than schooling races or matinee races, at extended meetings shall be governed by the following:
- A horse shall be deemed unqualified if it has not shown a performance meeting the qualifying standards for the meeting, or fails to perform in accordance with such standards. Such horses shall be placed on a Qualifying List by the Judges who shall not remove the horse therefrom until it has qualified in accordance with the standards for the meeting;
- Names of horses placed on the Qualifying List shall be posted by the Judges at a place in the race office accessible to owners or trainers;
- Qualifying standards shall apply only to the raceway where established;
- Qualifying races shall be charted by a licensed Charter and a photo finish camera shall be used to determine beaten lengths and individual times of the horses; and
- Qualifying races must be conducted under the supervision of a Judge.
12.02.01 When entering into overnight races, a horse’s individual time in its last clean charted line in a purse, qualifying or schooling race must meet the following time standard for the track at which it is entering to race, after the Judges have given appropriate allowances for track conditions on that day:
| Track size of last clean line | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Track size where entering to race | 1/2 Mile Tracks | 5/8 Mile Tracks | 7/8 Mile+ Tracks | |
| 1/2 Mile | Pacers | 2:04 | 2:03 | 2:02 |
| Trotters | 2:07 | 2:06 | 2:05 | |
5/8 Mile
| Pacers | 2:03 | 2:01 | 2:00 |
| Trotters | 2:06 | 2:04 | 2:03 | |
| 7/8 Mile | Pacers | 2:02 | 2:00 | 1:59 |
| Trotters | 2:05 | 2:03 | 2:02 | |
12.02.02 Time allowances for overnight races are as follows:
| Reason | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Seasonal – For starts from November 1 to April 30, inclusive. | 1 second |
| 2 year-olds | 2 seconds |
| 3 year-olds | 1 second |
12.02.03 For the purposes of determining eligibility for the Ontario Sire Stakes Prospect Series, rule 12.02.01 and 12.02.02 will apply.
12.03 A horse that does not show a charted line at the chosen gait within its last six starts, or does not show a charted line within the previous sixty (60) clear days, must perform in a qualifying race.
12.05 Deleted.
12.06 Any horse that chokes or bleeds while warming-up for a race or during a race and/or that is suspended in accordance with these rules shall be placed on the Veterinarian’s List and will be required to go a qualifying race and perform to the satisfaction of the Judges and a Commission Veterinarian or Official Veterinarian before being allowed to be declared in to race notwithstanding the expiry of any period of suspension otherwise applicable pursuant to this Rule.
12.07.01 Deleted.
12.07.02 Any horse that is qualified to race with or without hopples shall be permitted to be declared to a race with or without hopples as an equipment change.
12.08 When, for the purpose of qualifying the driver, a horse is declared in to race in a qualifying race, its performance shall be applicable to the horse’s eligibility to race and the chart line shall be notated to indicate driver qualifying.
12.09 Deleted.
12.10.01 A horse making a break in each of two consecutive races must qualify unless the breaks were equipment breaks or caused by interference.
12.10.02 A horse making a break off a qualifier or its second consecutive break in a row in an elimination heat will be allowed to race in the final.
12.10.03 Any horse that makes a break in stride on anything but a fast track, such as good, sloppy, snow, or heavy, shall be considered a clean line. Any horse charted with 3 consecutive breaks must qualify regardless of track condition.
12.10.04 Any horse participating in a qualifier that is currently qualified shall not become ineligible to be entered in a subsequent race should it be charted with a break in the unnecessary qualifier.
12.11 A horse must qualify if:
- It is distanced for reasons other than interference, broken equipment or breaking stride; or
- It does not finish for reasons other than interference or broken equipment.
12.12 A charted line containing only a break or breaks caused by interference or an equipment break shall be considered a clean charted line.
12.13 The Judges shall use the interference break mark only when they have reason to believe that the horse was interfered with by another horse or the equipment of another horse.