N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 9 § 4208.5

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 45, November 2, 2024

Section 4208.5 - Duties of judges

It shall be the duty of the judges to:

(a) closely observe the performance of all horses and jockeys competing at the race meeting;

(b) determine the result of every race contested before them and to place the horses competing therein in the order of their finish;

(c) investigate any act of cruelty to a horse racing at a meeting whether seen by them or reported to them and punish any person guilty of such cruelty;

(d) investigate any accidents on the track to determine the cause thereof and promptly make a full report to the commission;

(e) exclude, from any race, a horse which is improperly equipped, dangerous, unmanageable, unfit to race, or liable to cause accident or injury to another horse or jockey in the race, or which has fallen upon the track during the program;

(f) where a violation of any rule is suspected, to conduct an inquiry promptly and to take such action as may be appropriate and render their report to the commission. Any action, as a result of such inquiry, must be concurred in by at least two of the three judges;

(g) be represented by at least two judges in the judges' stand before wagering opens. All judges shall be in position at least 15 minutes before the first race, at all times when horses are on the track thereafter, and for 10 minutes after the last race;

(h) observe the preliminary warming up of horses and the scoring, noting the behavior of the horses and the jockeys, the equipment of the horses and any lameness which might appear, as well as the changes of the betting odds shown on the totalisator commissions and any other incidents relating to the racing;

(i) advise the paddock judge of the schedule of post times for the program as set by the presiding judge;

(j) be responsible for locking the pari-mutuel machines immediately upon the horses reaching the official starting point of the race;

(k) maintain communication with the patrol judges, by telephone, from the time the starter picks up the field of horses until all horses pass the finish line. A written record is to be made of every violation of rules or incident reported by the patrol judges. A mechanical recording shall be made and preserved of all communication between the patrol judges and the main judging stand at all pari-mutuel meetings;

(l) cause the appropriate signs to be posted on the result commission to indicate objection or inquiry in event of rule violation or complaint and notify the public address announcer of the horses involved and the nature of the objection. When a decision is made, the judges shall cause the objection or inquiry sign to be removed, the correct placing of the horses to be shown, and the "official" sign to be shown;

(m) display the "Photo" sign if there is less than one-half length between contending horses. They shall examine the photo of the finish before rendering a decision on the placing thereof and to cause copies of such photos to be posted and displayed to the public;

(n) Sign the judges' book after each race;

(o) suspend payment of purse moneys on the positions affected by a protest or appeal until final decision is rendered.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 9 § 4208.5