R 431.3060 Official starter; duties.

Rule 3060. (1) The official starter shall be responsible for the fair and equal start of all horses at the scheduled starting time by utilizing a starting gate and bell or other device activated by his or her signal. So far as is practical, the official starter shall cause all horses to be loaded in order of post position, but the official starter may, with the permission of the stewards, load an unruly horse out of order. By permission of the stewards, a race may be started without a starting gate. (2) The official starter may employ assistant starters as he or she considers necessary and shall change the gate position of each assistant starter daily, without notice to the assistant starters, until the field for the first race enters the race course. (3) A horse shall not be permitted to start in a race unless approval is given by the official starter. The official starter shall maintain a schooling list, which shall be posted in the race office, of the names of all horses ineligible to start for want of adequate training leaving the gate. Horses shall be schooled under the supervision of the official starter or his or her assistants. (4) The official starter shall report to the stewards any disobedience of his or her orders or attempts to take unfair advantage at the starting gate and shall recommend penalties for offenders. (5) An assistant starter shall not handle a horse until instructed to do so by the official starter. An assistant starter shall not strike a jockey or use abusive language when addressing a jockey. (6) An official starter or assistant starter shall not accept any gratuity or payment other than his or her regular salary, directly or indirectly, for services in starting a race. An official starter or assistant starter shall not wager on a race. (7) The official starter shall maintain a written record showing the names of all starters during the day and the names of the assistant starters who handled each horse. Such record shall be made available to the stewards upon request. (8) The official starter shall have radio or telephone communication with the stewards from the time the horses leave the paddock until the field is dispatched. (9) The official starter may recommend to the stewards that disciplinary action be taken against any jockey, outrider, pony rider, or other personnel under the official starter's control. (10) Horses shall be schooled under the supervision of the official starter or his or her assistant. The official starter shall report horses that are sufficiently schooled to start to the racing secretary. Unruly horses shall be placed on the schooling list and shall not start until approved by the official starter. The schooling list shall be respected in all cases.