Philippine Racing Commission

Amendments to Handicapping Rules Ø October 26, 2001 – Changes in the New Handicapping System Ø November, 2001 - New Handicapping System for Philracom-Sponsored Stakes Races Ø January 11, 2002 - Guidelines in the Reclassification of Horses Ø February 11, 2002 – Moratorium for the Reclassification of Horses October 26, 2001 – Changes in the New Handicapping System T O: ALL CONCERNED R E: CHANGES IN THE NEW HANDICAPPING SYSTEM Please be informed that the Philracom Board in its meeting on October 26, 2001, resolved to approve the changes in the New Handicapping System to address the growing clamor by horse owners and trainers for changes in the New Handicapping System and the reclassification of horses in the Class-Division grouping to make it more balanced and more competitive. NEW FEATURES OF THE CLASS-DIVISION 1. All Classes shall have two (2) Divisions, A & B, reflecting the capability of the horses. 1.1 Right after the splitting of the Divisions, horses in Division A shall carry 53 kgs. while horses in Division B shall carry 54 kgs. 1.2 Merging shall be allowed only for horses in Divisions A and B within the same Class, with horses in Division A having additional weights of 2 kgs. 1.3 The Handicapping Committee shall split the groups and reclassify the present Class-Division grouping based on the performance of the horses. 2. Horses shall be allowed two (2) wins in a Class-Division, i.e. a combination of wins in Division A and/or B, before going up to the next higher Class, Division B. 2.1 A win in a Class, Division B, shall elevate a horse to Division A, same Class, and the horse shall carry a handicap weight of 53 kgs. A horse that wins in a Class, Division B, and wins again in the same Class, either Division A or Division B, shall be elevated to the next higher Class, Division B, with a handicap weight of 54 kgs. 2.2 A horse that wins in a Class, Division A, if it has not yet won in the same Class, Division B, shall be retained in the same group with an additional 2 kgs. and be allowed another win before being elevated to the next higher Class, Division B, with a handicap weight of 54 kgs. If a horse that has won in a Class, Division A, goes down to Division B, same Class, and wins, it shall go to the next higher Class, Division B, with a handicap weight of 54 kgs. 3. A horse shall go down in group after losing cleanly with 52 kgs. 3.1 After two (2) straight clean losses from the starting handicap weight of 53 kgs. in Class-Division A, a horse shall go down to Division B, same Class, and shall carry 54 kgs. 3.2 After three (3) straight clean losses from the starting handicap weight of 54 kgs. in Class-Division B, a horse shall go down to the next lower Class-Division A and shall carry 53 kgs. 4. Horses in the Class-Division shall go down one (1) group to the next lower Class-Division for every four (4) months of inactivity from regular racing, excluding time served due to definite suspensions; they shall be limited to a maximum of two (2) groups downward within one year by virtue of vacation. For example, a horse in Class 2-Division 4A shall go to Class 2-Division 4B after a vacation of four (4) months, and then to Class 2-Division 5A, after another four months of vacation. 5. The following are the changes in categories for imported horses: 5.1 New imported horses shall be placed in Class 2-Division 1A regardless of age. 5.2 The lowest group where imported horses can run is Class 2-Division 5B. They cannot be brought down lower than this category even by losing or by virtue of vacation. 6. There shall be periodic evaluation of the Class-Division grouping. 6.1 The Class-Division races shall be evaluated every month up to the end of the year; the first evaluation shall be on November 7, 2001 and the next is on December 5, 2001. Thereafter, the reevaluation shall be every three (3) months. Those requesting for reclassification should file a written request to the Committee on Handicapping and their horse/s should have performance/s in the Class-Division races before their requests will be reviewed. Every general reevaluation shall not take effect immediately thereafter but only after one week and in the other racing club. 6.2 Those coming from vacation shall be categorized in the Class-Division grouping after they pass the barrier trial. The barrier time is only one of the bases in categorizing a horse from vacation. NEW FEATURES OF THE MAIDEN DIVISION 1. The Maiden Division shall have four (4) categories, namely, Maiden Division (A), Maiden Division (B), Maiden Division (C) and Maiden Division (D). (The addition of new Maiden Division categories will allow horses to seek their own levels of competition instead of staying with other horses in a group wherein they cannot be competitive.) 1.1 All horses with Thoroughbred bloodlines shall be placed in Maiden Division (A) upon passing the Novatos Barrier Trial, while horses with Non-Thoroughbred bloodlines shall go to Maiden Division (D). (This Thoroughbred/Non-Thoroughbred classification shall only be allowed up to March 5, 2001 the same deadline of six months after the implementation of the original New Handicapping System on September 5, 2001.) 1.2 Horses from Maiden Division (A) shall go down to Maiden Division (B) after three (3) consecutive clean losses. Horses from Maiden Division (B) shall go down to Maiden Division (C) after three (3) consecutive clean losses. Maiden Division (C) horses cannot go down to Maiden Division (D). 2. Winners of the Maiden and Sweepstakes Races shall be classified into the following categories: 2.1 Sweepstakes winners : Class 2 - Division 4 (B) 2.2 The Handicapping Committee shall classify by votation the different winners of the Maiden Division according to their performance, but within limitations as set below: 2.2.1 Maiden Division (A) Class 2 - Division 5 (B) Class 3 - Division 1 (A) Class 3 - Division 1 (B) 2.2.2 Maiden Division (B) Class 3 - Division 2 (A) Class 3 - Division 2 (B) Class 3 - Division 3 (A) 2.2.3 Maiden Division (C) Class 3 - Division 4 (A) Class 3 - Division 4 (B) Class 3 - Division 5 (A) 2.3 Maiden Division (D) winners: Class 4 - Division 2 (B) Class 4 - Division 3 (A) Class 4 - Division 3 (B) 4. In the splitting of groups, horses shall be split based on their finishes and number of losses. Horses that that placed 2nd or 3rd in previous races and new horses that just passed the barrier trial shall be in one group and shall be separated, if there is a sufficient number of horses, from those that have lost cleanly two or more consecutive times. 5. Horses that previously ran in a Barrier Trial but have not participated in any Maiden Division or other race with a purse for four (4) months or more shall not be eligible to go down in group, otherwise, the four-month vacation rule, i.e. one group for every four (4) months of inactivity, excluding time served due to definite suspensions, will apply to all horses that have run in the Maiden Division. 6. The prize categories of the winners and placers in the Maiden Division shall be the following: Maiden Division (A) - Category 1, the same as the old Maiden Division (A) Maiden Divisions (B) & (C) - Category 2, the same as the old Maiden Division (B) Maiden Division (D) - Category 3, the same as the old Maiden Division (C) All previous rules contrary to the above amendments and additions shall be considered null and void. The above amendments and additions to the New Handicapping System shall take effect immediately. NOTE: Bold-face items are additions/changes. November, 2001 - New Handicapping System for Philracom-Sponsored Stakes Races T O : ALL CONCERNED R E : NEW HANDICAPPING SYSTEM FOR PHILRACOM-SPONSORED STAKES RACES Please be informed that the Philracom Board approved in its meeting the following handicapping system that will apply to Philracom-sponsored stakes races: OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: WEIGHT-FOR-AGE WITH SEX ALLOWANCE: MALE (kgs.) FEMALE (kgs.) 2 Years Old 52 50 3 Years Old 54 52 4 Years Old & Up 56 54 Former winners of any and previous Open Championships, both imported and local horses, shall carry a maximum additional three (3) kgs. based on this weight-for-age with sex allowance schedule. As an example, assume that there are four legs of the Open Championship and that a 2 year-old colt won the first leg. In the 2nd Leg, it will carry 52 +3 = 55 kgs. If this wins again, then in the 3rd leg, it will only carry 52 + 3 = 55 kgs. If the horse wins again, then it will carry 52 + 3 = 55 kgs. in the 4th leg. Weight allowances for local horses that participated in the immediate previous Open Championship: (a) a local horse that came in second (2nd) shall retain its weight-for-age handicap weight; (b) a local horse that came in third (3rd) shall have an allowance of one (1) kg.; (c) local horses that came in fourth (4th) or worse shall have an allowance of two (2) kgs. Local horses that have not participated in any and previous Open Championships shall have an allowance of two (2) kgs. Allowances shall not apply to Imported horses. In the Open Championship, a male horse shall carry a maximum handicap weight of 59 kgs. while a female horse shall carry a maximum of 57 kgs. OTHER WEIGHT-FOR-AGE STAKES RACES WITH SEX ALLOWANCE: MALE (kgs.) FEMALE (kgs.) 2 Years Old 52 50 3 Years Old 54 52 4 Years Old & Up 56 54 No added weight or penalty for other WEIGHT-FOR-AGE stakes races including Triple Crown. SAMPAGUITA STAKES RACE: (3 YEARS OLD & UP FILLIES/MARES) 3 Years Old 52 kgs. 4 Years Old & Up 54 kgs. Previous winners of Sampaguita Stakes Races shall carry an additional two (2) kgs. An entry in the Sampaguita Stakes Race shall carry a maximum handicap weight of 56 kgs. This handicapping system shall take effect immediately. January 11, 2002 - Guidelines in the Reclassification of Horses TO: ALL CONCERNED RE : GUIDELINES IN THE RECLASSIFICATION OF HORSES Please be informed that the PHILRACOM Board in its meeting held on January 11, 2002, after due deliberation resolved to adopt the implementing guidelines in the reclassification of horses. GUIDELINES IN THE RECLASSIFICATION OF HORSES 1. All reclassification of horses will cease by June 30, 2002. 2. The Handicapping Committee will meet every last Wednesday of the month until June 30, 2002 for reclassification of horses. 3. A horse will be allowed to be reclassified only twice until June 30, 2002. 4. A formal request for reclassification should be made by the owner and/or trainer in the prescribed form provided by the Handicapping Committee citing the reasons for the request and indicating the present group together with a xerox copy of the performance record of the subject horse. The request will be submitted in five (5) copies thru the representative of MARHO, PHILTOBO and for the non-members thru the Trainers’ Association c/o Mr. Pedro Sanchez, Jr. 5. Once reclassified, a horse will be required to run three (3) times before an owner and/or trainer can make a request for his second and final reclassification. 6. A horse will be allowed to run in its reclassified group effective immediately. 7. All request/s for reclassification should be submitted on or before the following dates: January 25, 2002; February 22, 2002; March 22, 2002; April 19, 2002; May 24, 2002; and June 21, 2002. This shall take effect immediately. February 11, 2002 – Moratorium for the Reclassification of Horses T O: All Concerned R E: Moratorium For the Reclassification of Horses Please be informed that the PHILRACOM Board in its meeting held on February 01, 2002, after due deliberation, resolved to declare a moratorium period of One Hundred Twenty (120) days for the reclassification of horses which shall take effect immediately after the latest reclassification on February 06, 2002. Please be guided accordingly. Makati City, February 11, 2002.