Claiming races

1. General requirements. a. Starting requirements. No person may file a claim for any horse unless such person holds an owner's license. b. One stable claim. No stable which consists of horses owned by more than one person and which has a single trainer may submit more than one claim in any race and an authorized agent may submit only one claim in any race regardless of the number of owners represented. c. Procedure for claiming. To make a claim for a horse, an eligible person shall: (1) Deposit to such person's account with the horsemen's bookkeeper the full claiming price and applicable taxes as established by the racing secretary's conditions. (2) File the claim filled out completely and with sufficient accuracy to identify the claim in writing on forms provided by the association prior to the time the horse leaves the paddock in a locked claim box maintained for that purpose by the stewards. 2. Claim box. a. The claim box must be approved by the commission and kept locked until the horses have left the paddock, when it must be presented to the stewards or their designee for opening and publication of the claims. b. The claim envelope must have the time of day noted and initialed on the envelope by the horseman's bookkeeper or stamped by an automatic time clock prior to being dropped in the box. c. No official of said association may give any information as to the filing of claims therein until after the race has been run. 3. Claim irrevocable. After a claim has been filed in the racing office, it may not be withdrawn. 4. Multiple claims on single horses. If more than one claim is filed on a horse, the successful claim must be determined by lot conducted by the stewards or their representatives. 5. Successful claims - Later races. a. Sale or transfer. No successful claimant may sell or transfer a horse, except in a claiming race, for a period of thirty days from the date of claim. b. Eligibility price. A claimed horse may not start in a race in which the claiming price is less than the price in which it was claimed for a period of thirty days. If a horse is claimed, no right, title, or interest therein may be sold or transferred except in a claiming race for a period of thirty days following the date of claiming. The day claimed does not count but the following calendar day must be the first day. The horse is entitled to enter whenever necessary so the horse may start on the thirty-first calendar day following the claim for any claiming price. The horse is required to continue to race at the track where claimed for a period of thirty days or the balance of the current race meeting whichever comes first. c. Racing elsewhere. A horse which was claimed under these rules may not participate at a race meeting other than that at which it was claimed until the end of the meeting, except with written permission of the stewards. This limitation does not apply to stakes races. d. Same management. A claimed horse may not remain in the same stable or under the control or management of its former owner. e. When a horse is claimed out of a claiming race, the horse's engagements are included. 6. Transfer after claim. a. Forms. Upon a successful claim, the stewards shall issue in triplicate, upon forms approved by the commission, an authorization of transfer of the horse from the original owner to the claimant. Copies of the transfer authorization must be forwarded to and maintained by the commission, the stewards, and the racing secretary for the benefit of the horse identifier. No claimed horse may be delivered by the original owner to the successful claimant until authorized by the stewards. Every horse claimed shall race for the account of the original owner. b. Other jurisdiction rules. The commission will recognize and be governed by the rules of any other jurisdiction regulating title and claiming races when ownership of a horse is transferred or affected by a claiming race conducted in that other jurisdiction. c. Determination of sex and age. The claimant is responsible for determining the age and sex of the horse claimed notwithstanding any designation of sex and age appearing in the program or in any publication. In the event of a spayed mare, the (s) for spayed should appear next to the mare's name on the program. If it does not and the claimant finds that the mare is in fact spayed, claimant may then return the mare for full refund of the claiming price. d. Affidavit by claimant. The stewards may, if they determine it necessary, require any claimant to execute a sworn statement that the claimant is claiming the horse for the claimant's account or as an authorized agent for the claimant's principal and not for any other person. e. Delivery required. No person may refuse to deliver a properly claimed horse to the successful claimant and the claimed horse is disqualified from entering any race until delivery is made to the claimant. Transfer of possession of a claimed horse must take place immediately after the race has been run unless otherwise directed by the stewards. If the horse is required to be taken to the test barn for post-race testing, the original trainer or the trainer's representative shall maintain physical custody of the claimed horse and shall observe the testing procedure and sign the test sample tag. The successful claimant or the claimant's representative also shall accompany the horse to the test barn. f. Obstructing rules of claiming. No person or licensee may obstruct or interfere with another person or licensee in claiming any horse nor enter any agreement with another to subvert or defeat the object and procedures of a claiming race, or attempt to prevent any horse entered from being claimed. g. Title. Title to a claimed horse must be vested in the successful claimant at the time the horse leaves the paddock. The successful claimant becomes the owner of the horse whether the horse is alive or dead, sound or unsound, or injured at any time after leaving the paddock, during the race or after. If the claimed horse has been approved by the stewards to run without the registration certificate on file in the racing office, the registration certificate must be provided to the stewards for transfer to the new owner before claiming funds will be approved for transfer by the stewards. h. Title warranty. A person entering a horse in a claiming race warrants that the title to the horse is free and clear of any existing claim or lien, either as security interest mortgage, bill of sale, or lien of any kind; unless before entering such horse, the written consent of the holder of the claim or lien has been filed with the stewards and the racing secretary and the horse's entry approved by the stewards. A transfer of ownership arising from a recognized claiming race terminates any existing prior lease for that horse. 7. Elimination of stable. An owner whose stable has been eliminated by claiming may claim for the remainder of the meeting at which such owner was eliminated or for thirty racing days, whichever is longer. If the thirty-day period extends into a succeeding meeting, the owner shall obtain a certificate from the stewards of the meeting at which the owner's last horse was claimed to attach to any claim the owner makes at the succeeding meeting. With the permission of the stewards, stables eliminated by fire or other casualty may claim under this rule. 8. Deceptive claim. The stewards may cancel and disallow any claim within twenty-four hours after a race if they determine that a claim was made upon the basis of a lease, sale, or entry of a horse made for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining the privilege of making a claim. In the event of such a disallowance, the stewards may further order the return of a horse to its original owner and the return of all claim moneys. 9. Protest of claim. A protest to any claim must be filed with the stewards before noon of the day following the date of the race in which the horse was claimed. Nonracing days are excluded from this rule.