Section 290.215  Illinois Conceived and Foaled Thoroughbred Racing at County Fairs

a)         The Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 provides $75,000 annually for purses to be distributed to county fairs that provide for the running of races during each county fair. These races will be open to thoroughbreds that are properly registered as Illinois conceived and foaled with the Department.

b)         The conditions of the races shall be developed by the county fair association and reviewed by the Department, with the advice and assistance of the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund Advisory Board.

c)         County fair associations desiring to participate in this program shall file an application for participation with the Department on or before February 15 each year. Applications are available from the Department. Information as to location, date, track surface, and number of permanent horse stalls available must be given.

d)         The Department may at any time order the cancellation of a race or races if funds have been conditionally allocated to a fair association and the conditions have not been fulfilled prior to opening day of the fair. Any violation of this Subpart shall be just cause for denying distribution of fund monies to the county fair and/or the money winning horse owners.

e)         The purse distribution shall be as follows: 50% to the winner; 25% to second; 15% to third; and 10% to fourth.

f)         The president and secretary, or his/her authorized representative, of each county fair association claiming the benefit of any distribution from the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund shall file with the Department, within 7 days after the last racing day of a county fair, 2 official programs, an affidavit stating that this Subparthas been complied with, including the amount of purses put up by the county fair, the names and addresses of those owners who are to share in the total purse and the amount in which they are to share.

g)         The fair association shall appoint a Racing Secretary, 3 placing judges, starter and a timer as the officials to conduct the races. These officials shall be appointed at least 2 days prior to the date of the races. The list of those appointed officials must be submitted to the Department no later than 24 hours before the running of the races.

h)         The Department investigator may identify each horse starting in a race by means of description on the Jockey Club Certificate and verify Illinois conceived and foaled registration.

i)          It shall be the duty of the 3 judges to conduct the races and their decision shall be final in all matters pertaining to the running of the races, including the finishing order of horses.  All questions pertaining directly to racing arising during the program of races at county fairs shall be determined by the judges.

j)          It shall be the duty of the Racing Secretary to ascertain that the owner of a horse in whose name the horse is entered is the last owner of record on the Jockey Club Certificate.

k)         The Racing Secretary shall record the Illinois conceived and foaled registration number of each Illinois conceived and foaled horse competing in the races and furnish this information to the Department.

l)          No horse shall be eligible to be entered in a race that is receiving money from the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders Fund unless the horse has been duly registered as an Illinois conceived and foaled thoroughbred.  The Illinois registration number shall be recorded on the entry blank at the time an entry for a race is submitted to the Racing Secretary.

m)        In the event that the number of entries to any race is in excess of the number of horses that may, because of track limitations, be permitted to start, the starters for the race shall be determined by lot in the presence of those making entries, and the post position shall be in the order in which the starters are drawn. The same method shall be used in determining the starters and post positions in case any race is divided or split.

(Source:  Amended at 25 Ill. Reg. 7679, effective June 8, 2001)