The Jockey Club amends Rule 18 to Sold as Retired From
Racing
The Jockey Club has amended Rule 18 of the Principal Rules
and Requirements of The American Stud Book from Sold Without Pedigree to Sold as
Retired from Racing so that an owner can retire a Thoroughbred from racing
without affecting its breeding privileges, it was announced Wednesday.
Under the previous Rule 18, the Certificate of Foal
Registration for a horse sold without pedigree was returned to The Jockey Club
and canceled, and the horse was no longer considered a Thoroughbred for
breeding or racing purposes.
Under the amended Rule 18, the owner of a Thoroughbred can
request that The Jockey Club attach a special notation to the Certificate of
Foal Registration to indicate the horse should no longer be considered a
Thoroughbred for racing purposes. Unlike the previous Sold Without Pedigree,
horses that are Retired from Racing are still considered Thoroughbreds for
breeding purposes.
“For myriad reasons, owners may not want their Thoroughbred
to race again, but they do want the horse’s offspring to be eligible for
registration with The Jockey Club,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president
and executive director for The Jockey Club. “We developed the Sold as Retired from
Racing rule with that in mind.”
To sell a horse as retired from racing, the owner must send
a signed and notarized Sold as Retired from Racing form, a set of photographs of
the horse, and the horse’s Certificate of Foal Registration to The Jockey Club
within 60 days of the sale. The Jockey Club will stamp the certificate “Retired
from Racing” and forward it to the purchaser. A copy of such stamped
certificates will be made available at
registry.jockeyclub.com for interested industry stakeholders.
The rule change comes as welcome news to owners, horsemen
and organizations dedicated to aftercare.
“I recently tried to sell a horse for breeding purposes
only, but the horse ended up back at the track,” Thoroughbred owner Earle
Mack said. “This new rule will help owners do what they believe is in the best
interests of their horses. We surely owe our horses that.”
“This is a valuable tool to protect the future of retired
racehorses,” said Rick Violette Jr., president of the New York Thoroughbred
Horsemen’s Association. “It will simplify the transfer process and give owners
the peace of mind of knowing the horses they retire will not race again.”
“This rule will greatly enhance Thoroughbred aftercare
efforts,” said Mike Ziegler, executive director for the Thoroughbred Aftercare
Alliance. “Many owners and rescue organizations were hesitant about sending
pedigree papers with a horse because they were worried the horse would end up
back on the track. Now, the papers can travel with the Thoroughbred to its
second career, making it easier to identify and more appealing to new owners.”
The retired from racing rule is spelled out below and can
be found in the online Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud
Book at
registry.jockeyclub.com.
New Rule 18
18. SOLD AS RETIRED FROM RACING
| A. | If an owner desires a Thoroughbred to be considered
retired from racing, the owner/owner’s agent must submit the following to The Jockey Club within 60 days after the date of sale: |
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| B. | Upon receipt in the Registry Office, the respective
Certificate of Foal Registration will be stamped “Retired from Racing” and will be returned to the purchaser/purchaser’s agent. A copy of the stamped Certificate of Foal Registration will be made available on The Jockey Club Registry website at registry.jockeyclub.com. |
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| C. | Certificates of Foal Registration for Thoroughbreds that
were recorded by the Registry Office as Sold Without Pedigree prior to March 2013 shall remain canceled. |
Additional information about the new Rule 18 may be
obtained by contacting The Jockey Club Registry at
inquiries@jockeyclub.com or by calling 800-444-8521.
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