Dear Horsemen, As most of you are now aware the NYSS events scheduled for Sunday at Buffalo have been cancelled because of a tornado. The Harness horse Breeders of NYS do not know what the final decision will be but we do know it will be problematic to schedule a race on a date and time that works fairly for all. In the meantime please refer to the NYSS conditions.
The NYSS conditions state;
“(13) Cancellation:
Should circumstances prevent the racing of any Sire Stakes event, the monies and points will be prorated among owners of entered horses on the grounds for the uncontested event at the time of declaring off. The money will not be counted as money earned. The points will count towards the finals. The cancelled event will also count as a Sire Stakes start. Extenuating circumstances such as weather and labor disputes could be cause for rescheduling the final or consolation races, as per the NYSGC Rule 4114.3. All events shall be scheduled and run in cooperation with each licensee harness track in this state.
The following rule was announced today by the NYS Gaming Commission;
On June 26, 20167, the New York State Gaming Commission adopted amendments rules with regard to when standardbred horses are required to requalify (amendments to section 4113.5 of 9 NYCRR). The full text of the adopted rules can be found in the notice of proposed rulemaking as published in the State Register on November 4, 2015 (SGC-44-15-00019-P).
The rule amendment will allow the Commission to permit a standardbred horse to race for up to another 30 days without requalifying when inclement weather or another unexpected event has caused widespread interference with racing.
Please be advised, the new rule became effective upon publication in the State Register on July 12, 2017.
We know that some horses may be beyond the 30 days for qualifying standards. Our office has contacted the Gaming Commission to ask if this rule will be applied in this situation. We are awaiting their decision. Until the Gaming Commission’s decision is announce you should plan on making every effort to get qualified to enter the next 2YO CT at Monticello which will be drawn on Wed. July 26th. We have been told that Saratoga, Tioga and Vernon have Qualifiers tomorrow. You should reach out to their race secretaries immediately.
Harness Horse Breeders will provide any information we receive as soon as possible so you can make the best decisions for your horses and plan the rest of your NYSS schedule.
Harness Horse Breeders of New York State
12 Avis Drive, Suite 1
Latham, New York 12110
Tel: 518-785-5858
Fax: 518-785-5848