JC / Railbird

This is a TRICK question?
AMIRITE?
There is racing all the time in the state after sundown.

Posted by o_crunk on December 1, 2008 @ 7:30 pm

Provisions like that were usually part of the statutes that first legalized parimutuel wagering on horse racing in the early 1900’s, and it was just another form of regulating/limiting gambling. The provision probably authorized racing “from sunrise to sunset” or sundown, and was often accompanied by other restrictions, like only Monday through Friday, only licensed racing associations, etc.
Ok, I just checked, because I was curious. New York’s law only permits racing “from sunrise to sunset,” and, interestingly, although the statute was amended this year, that section was left in. So, outdated as it might be, I guess the legislature still supports it. There’s a later provision that says “In no event shall thoroughbred races conducted by a track first licensed after January first, nineteen hundred ninety be conducted after eight o’clock post meridian.” The fact that they reference 8 PM seems to take into account longer daylight in the summer, and reinforce that they really don’t want racing after dark.
Not sure if that was super helpful. I don’t know if the law ever actually been enforced. Something similar in NJ was litigated.

Posted by Kerry on December 1, 2008 @ 7:53 pm

Would it be part of the directors’ liability law? I really dunno — I hope you do!

Posted by pete on December 1, 2008 @ 8:15 pm

Kerry, thanks for looking that up. Interesting that the sundown restriction is limited to thoroughbred racing — like o_crunk, my first reaction was wait, what about nighttime harness action? Isn’t that racing after sundown? Interesting too that there was support fairly recently for keeping the provision in the law. I wonder what would have happened had NYRA run the ninth at Aqueduct on Sunday …

Posted by Jessica on December 1, 2008 @ 9:41 pm

Laws such as this were often created to protect the interests of the harness industry, which, of course, races at night.

Posted by Tinky on December 1, 2008 @ 9:54 pm

Tinky makes a good point. That could very well be the case if the sunset provision was introduced after the 1940 advent of night racing in New York at Roosevelt. The harness racing law has no sunrise-sunset provision (although racing on December 25 is expressly prohibited …). The TB law was originally enacted in 1926, but it’s possible that the sunrise-sunset provision was added after 1940 to protect harness racing. My knowledge of New York racing history is spotty at best.

Posted by Kerry on December 1, 2008 @ 10:36 pm

Are there lights at Aqueduct?
Maybe it’s a safety thing. Maybe it’s to allow stewards to see who, if anybody, is cheating during the race.

Posted by winston on December 1, 2008 @ 10:39 pm

This won’t answer your question, but maybe New York has a similar situation…
Anyway, Michigan has a similar rule for Thoroughbred tracks in the Detroit area stemming from a time when the same group owned both Detroit Race Course and Hazel Park Harness Raceway. From what I have been told, the law was enacted so the mutuel tellers would have time to get from DRC to the harness track to work the windows there as well.
Pinnacle Race Course ran smack dab into the old “6:45 Rule” on its opening day after gate troubles caused a bunch of delays. They got everything in, albeit a little past 6:45, but they had to rush to do it.

Posted by Joe Nevills on December 2, 2008 @ 10:04 am

And Maryland, for years, had the 6:15 rule before harness racing grew so weak that it couldn’t halt the advent of twilight racing.
The other day a kick returner in an NFL game signaled for a fair catch with two hands, a violation of the obscure one-hand rule. I love when these things take most people by surprise but officials are right on top of them.

Posted by John S. on December 2, 2008 @ 10:13 am

When I was searching for this info I came up with a bunch of dumb laws — One being in some states its illegal for NASCAR toace past 10pm others states past midnight — I also learned —
Washington, DC, has a strict ordinance that prohibits the cutting of a horse’s tail.
In Vermont, the selling of horse urine requires a license.
You will be arrested if you paint your horse in Vermont.
You cannot ride your horse in the waters of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia.
You can be sent to jail if you open your umbrella in the presence of a horse in New York City.
Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs in Brooklyn, New York.
And last of all I learned this —
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, horses must be equipped with headlights and a horn.
You may not keep farm animals in your Minneapolis, Minnesota apartment unless it doubles as a barn.
Mi Casa doubles as a barn — I know this to be true —

Posted by pete on December 2, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like the rule originated in protecting harness racing from thoroughbred competition …
Winston, the only light is at the Aqueduct finish line. Safety might be an issue, although I’m not sure darkness would dissuade them from running if there were no rule against it. There was a race just a couple weeks ago run in thick fog under a very gloomy, very gray late afternoon sky. The replay is just a cloud-filled screen until the horses come into the stretch.
Pete, that’s an impressive list. I’m almost certain I’ve opened an umbrella in the presence of a horse in NYC … I’m a criminal!

Posted by Jessica on December 2, 2008 @ 3:15 pm

When Trevor D. worked in Maryland, he made one of my favorite race calls of all time in a fog-enshrouded Laurel Turf Cup.
“Away they go … I think.”
And that was it.

Posted by John S. on December 3, 2008 @ 12:43 pm

uh oh–Jess you may have to change the name from Railbird to Jailbird- LOL

Posted by pete on December 4, 2008 @ 8:49 am