Section 1306.10  State Steward

 

a)         The state steward, appointed by the Board, shall be the representative of the Board at large at all race meetings and principal advisor to the Board on harness racing activities. He shall supervise the conduct of the race track operator's officials, of racing, of the pari-mutuel department, of the licensing office and of the detention barn. The state steward shall keep said departments and officials informed about Board policy.

 

b)         If necessary, the state steward may act in place of an official or as an additional official should the Board determine the need. He shall at all times have access to all parts of the course, plant and grounds.

 

c)         The state steward has authority over all owners, trainers, drivers and other persons attendant on horses.

 

Section 1306.20  Additional Steward

 

The Board may in its discretion designate one of the officials as its steward at that particular meeting, but such steward shall at all times be junior to the state steward of the Board.

 

Section 1306.30  Judges

 

In every race or performance against time there shall be a presiding judge and two associate judges, one of whom may be appointed to serve as a roving patrol judge.

 

Section 1306.50  Disqualification to Act as Official

 

A person under suspension, expulsion, or other disqualification, or who has any interest in a race or has an interest in any of the horses engaged therein, is disqualified from acting in any official capacity in that race. In the event of such disqualification, the management shall be notified by the disqualified person and shall appoint a substitute. Any person who violates this restriction shall be fined, suspended or expelled.

 

Section 1306.70  Participation Forbidden

 

No person whose duties at meetings licensed by the Board including classifying horses, supervising saliva and urine examination, officiating, and/or reviewing decisions of the judges shall directly or indirectly be the owner of or have any interest in any horse racing at pari-mutuel harness meetings, nor shall he participate financially directly or indirectly in the purchase or sale of any horse racing at such meetings. Any person violating this rule shall be suspended.

 

Section 1306.80  Judges' Stand Occupants

 

None but the judges, the clerk of the course, the racing secretary, starter and timer, official announcer, and officials and directors of the Board and the United States Trotting Association shall be allowed to enter the judges' stand during a race. Anyone violating this rule may be fined not to exceed $100.

 

Section 1306.90  Improper Conduct

 

a)         An official guilty of improper conduct shall be fined not exceeding $500 and/or be suspended.

 

b)         Any complaint against a racing official or officials shall be made to the stewards in writing, signed by the complainant. All such complaints shall be reported to the Board together with the stewards' action.

 

Section 1306.100  Presiding Judge

 

The presiding judge shall:

 

a)         Have supervision over associate judges, patrol judges, starters, paddock judge, finish wire judge, clerk of the course, timers and charters.

 

b)         Notify owners and drivers of penalties imposed.

 

c)         Report in writing to the Board, with a copy to the United States Trotting Association, violations of the rules by a track, its officers or race officials, giving detailed information thereof.

 

d)         Make such other reports as required by the Board.

 

e)         Sign each sheet of the judges' book, verifying the correctness of the record.

 

f)         Be responsible for the maintenance of the records of the meeting and the forwarding thereof to the Board and the United States Trotting Association.

 

(Source:  Amended at 10 Ill. Reg. 10147, effective May 27, 1986)

 

Section 1306.110  Powers of the State Steward and Judges

 

The State Steward and the judges shall have the following powers:

 

a)         Inflict fines and penalties, as prescribed by this Part.

 

b)         Determine all questions of fact relating to the race.

 

c)         Decide any differences between parties to the race. Should any case occur that may or may not be covered by this Chapter, it shall be determined by the officials. When no penalty is provided, the State Steward and judges shall have the authority to impose stated penalties as they think just, recommending to the Board more severe penalties if they think fit.

 

d)         Declare pools and bets "off" in the case of fraud, no appeal to be allowed from their decision in that respect. All pools and bets follow the decision of the judges. Such a decision in respect to pools and bets, shall be made at the conclusion of the race upon the observations of the judges and upon such facts as an immediate investigation shall develop. A reversal or change of decision after the official placing at the conclusion of the heat or dash shall not affect the distribution of betting pools made upon such official placing. When pools and bets are declared off for fraud, the guilty parties shall be fined, suspended and/or expelled.

 

e)         Control the horses, drivers and assistants and punish by a fine not exceeding $500 or by suspension or expulsion, any person who shall fail to obey their orders or the rules. In no case shall there be any compromise or change on the part of the judges of punishment prescribed in the rules, but the same shall be strictly enforced.

 

f)         Conduct an inquiry into a violation of any rule and take such action as may be appropriate and render their report to the Board. Any action, as a result of such inquiry, must be concurred in by the majority of the judges. Any person required to appear before the judges for a hearing or examination who shall fail to appear after due notice in writing shall be penalized.

 

g)         Consider complaints of foul from the patrols, owners or drivers in the race and no others.

 

h)         Declare a race void and order all wagers refunded in the event of unfavorable weather or other unavoidable cause.

 

(Source:  Amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 16319, effective October 1, 2006)

 

Section 1306.120  Duties of the Judges and State Steward

 

It shall be the duty of these officials to:

 

a)         Exclude from the race any horse that in their opinion is improperly equipped, dangerous, or unfit to race, or liable to cause accident or injury to another horse or driver in the race, and which shall include horses that are sick, blind, weak, and extremely lame. No horse shall race with a tube in its throat.

 

b)         Investigate any apparent or possible interference, or other driving violation whether or not complaint has been made by a driver.

 

c)         Investigate any act of cruelty seen by them or reported to them by any person towards a race horse during a meeting at which they officiate. If the judges find that such an act has been committed, they shall suspend or fine the offending person not to exceed $500.

 

d)         Immediately thereafter or on the day of the race, conduct an investigation of any accidents to determine the cause thereof, and the judges shall make all accidents a matter of record in the judges' book and completely fill out an accident report.

 

e)         Order the physical examination of drivers involved in accidents.

 

f)         Action by the state steward and judges in performing their duties shall be reported to the Illinois Racing Board. Where one steward disagrees with the majority, that fact shall be noted in the report and the dissenting steward shall have the right to file with the Board a written report setting forth the reason or reasons for the disagreement. The stewards shall keep a minute book, recording therein all complaints made to them and the disposition thereof and all investigations by the stewards and their findings thereon and all rulings made by the stewards.

 

g)         The stewards shall, as soon as possible and not later than seven days after the end of each meeting, make a report in writing, to the Board of all infractions of the Rules and Regulations, and all rulings of the stewards upon matters coming before them during such meeting. All rulings and orders of the stewards may in the discretion of the Board be reviewed by it and such ruling or order reversed or modified in any way the Board may deem proper.

 

Section 1306.130  Procedures of the Judges and State Steward

 

It shall be the procedure of judges and state stewards to:

 

a)         Observe the preliminary warming up of horses and scoring, noting behavior of horses, lameness, equipment, conduct of drivers, changes in odds at pari-mutuel meetings, and any unusual incidents pertaining to horses or drivers participating in races.

 

b)         Be in communication with the starter from the time he or she picks up the horses until the finish of the race. Any violation or near violation of the Rules and Regulations shall be reported by the starter witnessing the incident and a written record made. At least one steward or judge shall observe the drivers throughout the stretch specifically noting changing course, interference, improper use of whips, breaks, and failure to contest the race to the finish.

 

c)         Post the objection sign or inquiry sign on the odds board in the case of a complaint or possible rule violation, and immediately notify the announcer of the objection and the horse or horses involved. As soon as the judges have made a decision, the objection sign shall be removed, the correct placing displayed, and the "official" sign flashed. In all instances, the judges shall post the order of finish and the "official" sign as soon as they have made their decision.

 

d)         Display the photo sign if the order of finish among the contending horses is less than half-length or a contending horse is on a break at the finish. After the photo has been examined and a decision made, a copy or copies shall be made, checked by the presiding judge, and posted for public inspection.

 

e)         Sign the judges' book verifying the correctness of the record by the clerk of the course.

 

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 4345, effective April 7, 2017)

 

Section 1306.140  Patrol Judge

 

a)         There shall be at least one roving patrol judge and it shall be his duty to ride in the starter car and observe all activity on the race track in his area at all times during the racing program. He shall immediately report to the presiding judge:

 

1)         Any action on the track which could improperly effect the result of a race.

 

2)         Every violation of the racing rules.

 

3)         Every violation of the rules of decorum.

 

4)         The lameness or unfitness of any horse.

 

5)         Any lack of proper racing equipment.

 

b)         The patrol judge shall furthermore:

 

1)         Be in constant communication with the judges during the course of every race and shall immediately inform the judges of every rule violation, improper or unusual happening which occurs at their station.

 

2)         Submit individual daily reports of observations of the racing to the presiding judge.

 

3)         When directed by the presiding judge, attend hearings or inquiries on violations and testify thereat under oath.

 

Section 1306.160  Starting Judges

 

Starting judges shall be designated by the track, subject to the approval of the Board.

 

Section 1306.170  Duties of Starter

 

a)         The starter shall be in the starting car 15 minutes before the first race. He shall have control over the horses and authority to assess fines and/or suspend drivers for any violation of the rules from the formation of the parade until the word "go" is given. He may assist in placing the horses when requested by the judges to do so. He shall notify the judges and the drivers of penalties imposed by him.

 

b)         His services shall be paid for by the track employing him. An assistant starter may be employed when necessary.

 

Section 1306.180  Clerk of the Course

 

The clerk of the course shall:

 

a)         At request of judges assist in drawing positions.

 

b)         Keep the judges' book and record therein:

 

1)         All horses entered and their eligibility numbers.

 

2)         Names of owners and drivers; drivers' license numbers.

 

3)         A record of each race, giving position of horse at finish.

 

4)         Note drawn or ruled out horses.

 

5)         Record time in minutes, seconds and fifths of seconds.

 

c)         Check eligibility certificate before the race and after the race; shall enter all information provided for thereon.

 

d)         Record all protests, fines, penalties and appeals in the judges' book and see that the book is properly signed.

 

e)         Forward copies of the judges' book to the United States Trotting Association and the Board not later than the next day.

 

f)         Notify owners and drivers of penalties assessed by the officials.

 

g)         Upon request, may assist judges in placing horses.

 

h)         After the race, return the eligibility certificate to the owner of the horse or his representative when requested.

 

i)          Failure to comply with any part of this rule and make the above listed entries legible, clear and accurate, may subject either the clerk or the track, or both, to a fine of not to exceed $50. for each violation.

 

Section 1306.190  Timers

 

a)         At each race or performance against time there shall be an electric timing device and one timer. He shall sign the judges' book for each race or performance against time verifying the correctness of the record. All times shall be announced and recorded in fifths of seconds. An approved electronic timing device must be used where horses are started from a chute.

 

b)         The timer shall be in the stand 15 minutes before the first heat or dash is to be contested. He shall start his watch when the first horse leaves the point from which the distance of the race is measured and shall stop his watch when a winner reaches the wire. The time of the leading horse at the quarter, half, three-quarters, and the finish shall be taken. If odd distances are raced, the fractions shall be noted accordingly.

 

Section 1306.200  Paddock Judge

 

Under the direction and supervision of the presiding judge, the paddock judge will have complete charge of all paddock activities. The paddock judge is responsible for:

 

a)         Getting the fields on the track for post parades in accordance with the schedule given to him by the presiding judge.

 

b)         Inspection of horses for changes in equipment, broken or faulty equipment, head numbers, etc.

 

c)         Supervision of paddock gate men.

 

d)         Proper check in and check out of horses and drivers.

 

e)         Direction of the activities of the paddock blacksmith.

 

f)         Immediate notification to the presiding judge of anything that could in any way change, delay or otherwise affect the racing program.

 

g)         Permitting only properly authorized persons in the paddock and any violation of this rule may result in fine, suspension or expulsion.

 

h)         Inspection and supervision of the maintenance of all emergency equipment kept in the paddock.

 

i)          Notifying the judges of the reason for any horse returning to the paddock after having entered the track for the post parade and before the start of the race.

 

j)          Notifying the judges of all trainers and grooms who leave the paddock in an emergency.

 

(Source:  Amended at 10 Ill. Reg. 10147, effective May 27, 1986)

 

Section 1306.210  Program Director

 

Each track shall designate a program director. Such program director and all charters shall be subject to the approval of the Board. It shall be the responsibility of the program director to furnish the public complete and accurate past performance information as required by Rule B 15.4 (11 Ill. Adm. Code Section 415.40).

 

Section 1306.220  Horse Identifier

 

The identification of horses coming into the paddock shall be made by the horse identifier who shall report any irregularities to the paddock judge and stewards.

 

Section 1306.230  State Veterinarian (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 31 Ill. Reg. 16511, effective December 1, 2007)

 

Section 1306.240  Bribes Forbidden

 

No racing official or his assistant shall accept, directly or indirectly, any gratuity, reward or favor in connection with racing at the meeting.

 

Section 1306.250  Drinking of Intoxicating Liquor Prohibited

 

Drinking of intoxicating liquor, by any racing official, track employee, or licensee, while on duty, is prohibited. Any person violating this rule shall be relieved of his duties by the stewards.

 

Section 1306.260  Arrival Time (Repealed)

 

(Source:  Repealed at 10 Ill. Reg. 10147, effective May 27, 1986)