The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) at its meeting of Thursday, July 4, 2013, resolved that the following directive be approved, effective immediately.
This policy covers different circumstances that may arise where an added money event (stakes race) needs to be rescheduled and addresses defined protocol. The policy provides guidance as follows:
- Defines the limitations for “postponing” a race.
- Details the protocol to be followed when races are rescheduled to a time beyond reasonable limits affecting the eligibility of entered horses.
Added Money Events are defined in the Rules of Standardbred Racing under Chapter 2 – Definitions as meaning stakes, futurities, early closing events and late closing events.
For the purposes of this Policy Directive Added Money Events include any race regardless of breed to which a horse must pay a nomination fee in advance of entry day.
Postponing
A stakes race (including divisions, eliminations, legs, trials or finals) where the entry box has been closed, that cannot be run on the advertised date but can be rescheduled within 7 clear days (Standardbred) or 14 clear days (Thoroughbred) of the original date, is considered postponed and the following will apply:
- The horses are not required to be re-entered, as all horses are considered to have maintained their eligibility (unless the trainer has done something to make them ineligible, e.g. the horse is on the Stewards’ List).
- As all originally entered horses are still considered eligible, the stake race will be conducted as drawn and all starting fees remain due and payable.
- Any horse that was scratched for the original date, remains scratched for the postponed date, and the starting fee is due and payable.
- To maintain their eligibility to the postponed race, horses entered and eligible to the race cannot enter and race in another race.
Re-scheduling
A stakes race (including divisions, eliminations, legs, trials or finals) where the entry box has been closed, that cannot be run on the advertised dates but cannot be scheduled within 7 clear days (Standardbred) or 14 clear days (Thoroughbred) of the original date, is considered re-scheduled and the following will apply:
- Eligible horses must be re-entered to the re-scheduled race. Trainers are responsible for declaring horses to the re-scheduled race, and under the Rules of Racing responsible for ensuring entry of an eligible horse. Rules surrounding eligibility continue to apply.
- Only horses declared to the original event are eligible to be declared to the re-scheduled event.
- Any horse that was scratched before the decision to cancel was made is ineligible to enter in the re-scheduled event. The starting fee for that horse remains payable.
- Where the horse’s interests decide not to enter the horse to the re-scheduled event, they are not required to pay the starting fee.
- There will be a redraw for post positions.
- Where the re-scheduled race is a Final, all results from any required trials will be carried over.
Cancellation
In the case where the added money event must be cancelled, the nomination and sustaining payments will be returned to the owner of the horse.