Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., is currently scheduled to open on May 7 with the strictest whip rules in the country: jockeys will only be allowed to use the whip for safety reasons. However, whip rules under the new federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, scheduled to go into effect on July 1, will allow jockeys to use the whip six times during a single race, but not more than twice in succession.
According to the Asbury Park Press, Monmouth officials have asked the New Jersey Racing Commission to implement HISA's version of the whip rules for the entirety of the 2022 race meet.
“I think we have a very good chance of getting this done,” Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, which operates Monmouth Park, told APP. “It doesn't make sense to have different rules to start the meet and switch midstream.”
Unfortunately, the commission may not be able to adopt the new rule in time for the start of Monmouth's meet. Instead, Monmouth may be allowed to institute a “house rule” that matches that of the new HISA regulation.
The only downside is that the stewards, employed by the commission, would not be able to enforce the whip rule. Instead, that task would fall to the placing judges and racing secretary John Heims.
Read more at the Asbury Park Press.
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