Racing Department
John Ferrara serves
as the Commission's Director of Racing. In that capacity, he supervises the
stewards and judges who monitor live racing at the licensed pari-mutuel racetracks
in Texas. He also serves the primary policy maker on racing matters and acts
as a liaison between the Commission, the racetracks,
and the industry organizations.
Stewards/Racing
Judges
The Texas Racing Act requires each
pari-mutuel horse to be supervised by a board of three stewards. Similarly,
at a greyhound racetrack, the races are supervised by a board of three racing
judges. Unlike some other racing jurisdictions, all of the stewards and racing
judges are employed by the Commission.
Although selected and employed
by the Commission, the stewards and racing judges are not merely the Commission's
agents at the racetrack. The Texas Racing Act, §3.07
gives the stewards and racing judges extensive enforcement authority over the
licensees working at the racetracks. The stewards and racing judges conduct
disciplinary hearings on alleged rule violations, disqualify race animals for
interference in races, review and approve occupational license applications,
and generally monitor all aspects regarding the conduct of live racing to ensure
compliance with the Texas Racing Act and the Commission's rules.
Many of the disciplinary hearings
conducted by the Steward and Racing Judges involve the use of illegal medication
in race animals. Under Commission Rule §319.3,
only certain medications are permitted to be present in a race animal on race
day. However, some medications have more ability to influence the outcome of
a race than others. To assist the stewards and racing judges in making penalty
decisions, the Executive Director has developed a classification of
prohibited drugs, chemicals and other substances and a schedule for recommended
disciplinary action.
Training Facilities
The Commission licenses training facilities to facilitate horse owners and trainers
obtaining official workouts. For a list of currently licensed training facilities,
click here.
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