R 431.3145 Preference.

Rule 3145. (1) Horses entered that are eliminated from races programmed in the printed condition book either by overfilling or failure to fill shall be listed by the racing secretary and given preference in subsequent races of similar distance and conditions. (2) Preference shall be given in all races, except handicaps and stakes, according to a horse's last previous race during the current race meeting. The preference date on a horse that has drawn to race and has been scratched is the date of the race from which the horse was scratched. When a horse is racing for the first time in the current meet, the date of the first entry shall be considered the horse's last racing date and preference shall be applied accordingly. (3) The preference date shall be claimed at the time of entry by indicating the date on the entry with the word “preferred.” (4) Horses that are drawn into races and those on the also-eligible list that draw into races must receive a running date corresponding to the date on which they are to run and must lose all dates previously held. (5) Horses on the veterinarian's list, stewards' list, or starter's list cannot establish a preference date. (6) Preference dates remain the same regardless of a change of ownership or trainer. (7) Horses that have established a preference date at the current race meeting lose that preference date if they race elsewhere. The reentry of such horses reestablishes the preference dates. (8) Horses entered in the wrong race by an owner, trainer, or authorized agent lose their preference dates. (9) There are no special preference dates for Michigan-bred horses. (10) Preference dates must not be carried for a period of more than 45 days. The stewards shall make a final determination in a matter of interpretation of preference dates.