R 431.3070 Pre-race examination.

Rule 3070. (1) The official veterinarian shall examine each horse listed in the overnight entries to determine its eligibility and fitness to race. The time of the examination is at the discretion of the official veterinarian on the day of the race. The trainer shall have an attendant present and the horse’s legs must be free from bandages and topical substances when the official veterinarian comes to his or her stable to make a pre-race examination. (2) The pre-race examination shall include, but not be limited to, examination of the horse's eyes and legs and observation of the horse while at rest and in motion, either at a walk or while jogging, at the discretion of the examiner. (3) The official veterinarian shall be in the paddock for inspection of the horses before a race. If, in the opinion of the official veterinarian, a horse is not fit to race, that fact shall be reported to the stewards immediately with a recommendation that the horse be scratched. (4) The official veterinarian shall be stationed at the starting gate to observe the fitness of horses as the horses warm up for the race. Any horse that breaks through the starting gate or runs off without effective control shall be examined by the official veterinarian. If, in the opinion of the official veterinarian, any horse scheduled to start is not fit to race, that fact shall be reported to the stewards immediately with a recommendation that the horse be scratched.