HISA whip restrictions in place for Breeders' Cup
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The two-day Breeders’ Cup event scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., will be the first to be run under the limited jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, with the most notable impact being on the number of times a rider can use a whip in the race.
HISA’s safety rules, which went into effect in most racing jurisdictions in the U.S. on July 1, prohibit a rider from using the whip more than six times in a race, though exceptions can be made if the whip is being used to protect the safety of horses or riders. Riders will face fines and/or suspensions if they use the whip in excess of those six strikes or without giving a horse “the opportunity” to respond after two consecutive strikes, and owners could even find themselves forfeiting a purse under a grievous violation of the rule.
HISA officials said at a press conference on Wednesday that they have been in communication with riders who will participate in the Breeders’ Cup races about the new rules in order to ensure that all jockeys are aware of the new limits. That includes communications with riders based in foreign countries.
Though the HISA rules did not go into effect until this summer in the U.S., the Breeders’ Cup held last year at Del Mar had similar whip restrictions in place under rules enforced by the California Horse Racing Board. In addition, most European jurisdictions have been operating under whip limitations for several years.
“I’m confident there’s a general understanding of the rules at this time,” said Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of HISA, at the press conference.
Under the HISA rules, using the whip one to three times over the six-strike limit is considered a minor violation. But any use of the whip in excess of four times over the limit requires the owner of the horse to forfeit any purse money earned in the race.
Owners and riders are allowed to appeal any penalties or forfeitures from a violation to argue that the excessive use was necessary, especially in the case of a horse that is not responding to other signals and putting other horses and riders in danger. In any case, any penalties assessed will not affect the results of the race, so all payouts will stand once a race is declared official.
Lazarus noted that forfeitures have averaged “about 6 percent” of all violations since the rule went into effect, and she said that riders are rapidly adjusting to the new rule.
“[Forfeitures] are a very small percentage,” she said. “We’re getting to the point where there is far more understanding of the rules and far less violations.”
Also at the press conference, Bruce Howard, the equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, said that Nick Smith, the chief veterinarian of the KHRC, will be in charge of communicating with stewards in the event of a problem at the gate that could necessitate a scratch.
“He will be the only person talking to the stewards at the starting gate,” Howard said.
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Communications between stewards and regulatory veterinarians became an issue at the Breeders’ Cup last year when Modern Games was scratched from the pari-mutuel pools in the Juvenile Turf after he was let out of the front of his stall as veterinarians addressed a cast horse in the stall next to him. In the chaos, veterinarians told the stewards to scratch Modern Games, thinking the horse had broken through the gate. After an examination, Modern Games was allowed to run, but for purse money only. He won, infuriating bettors who had used the horse, the favorite, in multi-race bets.
A report prepared by the CHRB in the wake of the incident blamed a breakdown in the chain-of-command among vets at the gate for the erroneous scratch.
Howard also pointed out that Kentucky regulations do not call for an automatic scratch if a horse breaks through the front of the gate. In that event, veterinarians are supposed to conduct a physical examination of the horse before deciding whether the horse is sound enough to run.
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