The New York Gaming Commission on Monday approved a proposed rule that will allow nearly all horses with shared ownership in New York to run uncoupled for wagering purposes.
The rule, which will now be posted for public comment before being returned to the commission for approval, would align New York with a bevy of major racing jurisdictions that have ended coupling requirements for horses that share owners. Under the new rule, horses with shared ownership would race uncoupled, though racetracks would have to go to “adequate” lengths to inform the public that the horses shared ownership.
Going back a hundred years, most horses with shared ownership were required to run as a coupled entry in order to discourage horsemen from using one horse in a race to benefit the other, especially by using a shorter-priced horse to benefit a longshot. Those concerns have waned over recent years as purses have grown to record levels and bettors have gained access to detailed past-performance and training data.
The proposed rule in New York would allow stewards to require horses to run as a coupled entry if the stewards determine it is “in the public’s interest.” In addition, a trainer will not be allowed to run more than two horses with shared ownership uncoupled.
The proposed rule is supported by the New York Racing Association, Finger Lakes, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, according to a memo prepared by the gambling commission.
Pat McKenna, the vice president of communications for NYRA, said in an interview that a recent analysis done by the association showed that field sizes will grow an average of 0.8 horses per day if the rule passes. Generally, wagering on a race increases as field size increases.
“The proposed rule change would benefit the wagering public by increasing field size while generating additional handle to support New York’s horsemen and the broader racing community,” McKenna said, in a prepared statement.
Robert Williams, the executive director of the commission, said prior to offering the proposal for a vote that the commission staff had analyzed a 2015 change to the coupling rule allowing for uncoupled horses in stakes races with purses of $50,000 a more. The analysis “identified no substantive systemic concerns,” Williams said.
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