Whip Rules

Effective Aug. 1, from the quarter pole to the finish wire, Maryland jockeys will be limited to six whip strikes--either overhanded or underhanded--with no more than two of those blows in succession without giving the horse a chance to respond. Prior to the quarter pole, jockeys will be allowed an unlimited number of strikes, provided they are delivered in an underhand manner, which is considered less harmful to horses. The Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) unanimously voted to approve the policy modification during its Thursday teleconference meeting. It's based on a...

A unified set of whipping regulations is in the pipeline for the mid-Atlantic region jockeys, and the plan could be announced by early June with the goal of rolling out the new rules as tracks start to reopen from COVID-19 closures. "We are very actively working on finalizing a riding crop policy--rule if you want to call it [that]--for the mid-Atlantic region that will bring a consensus to the region on the use of the crop," Alan Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, said...