R 431.4150 Stakes and futurities.

Rule 4150. (1) An association presenting stakes and futurities shall, in addition to meeting United States Trotting Association notification requirements, set the nominating date and the dates for all sustaining payments on the fifteenth day of the month. There shall be no payments on yearlings, except for a nomination payment, which shall be due not later than August 15. Before taking any sustaining payment during the year the race is to be held, the date and place of the race shall be stated. A stake or futurity sustaining fee on 2-year-olds is not due before March 15, and for all other ages before February 15, of any year. There shall be no conditions that call for payments in stakes or futurities to become due after August 15 and before February 15 of the following year. No more than 1 sustaining payment of 2-year-olds in stakes and futurities that do not have a 2-year-old division is permitted. No more than 2 sustaining payments on any horse of any age in any calendar year, with the exception of the starting fee, shall be approved. The date for closing of nominations of yearlings to stakes shall be July 15. (2) An association shall, where date schedules permit, advertise the week and place the stake or futurity will be held before taking nominations. (3) An estimated purse shall not be advertised or published in excess of the actual purse paid or distributed during the previous year, unless increased by guaranteed added money. A stake or futurity shall not be raced for less than 75% of the average estimated purse. (4) Conditions shall not be written so as to provide for a filly division of a race with less added money than the colt division of a race, unless authorized by the executive director. (5) Added money shall be not less than 30% of the purse. If a stake or futurity is split into divisions, the added money for each division shall be not less than 20% of all nomination, sustaining, and starting fees paid into the stake or futurity. (6) Failure to make any payment required by the conditions constitutes an automatic withdrawal from the race. (7) If a mare nominated to a futurity fails to have a live foal, the nominator may substitute a foal if the conditions so provide. (8) A deduction, voluntary or involuntary, shall not be made from any purse or stake or futurity, except that, if the conditions specifically so provide, reasonable deductions may be made for clerical, printing, postage, and surety bond expenses specifically related to the purse, stake, or futurity. (9) Unless otherwise specified in the conditions of a stake or futurity, the money division shall be as follows: (a) Five or more starters: 50-25-12-8-5%. (b) Four starters only: 50-25-15-10%. (c) Three starters only: 60-30-10%. (d) Two starters only: 65-35%.