The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) is proposing amendments to Rule 1699, which governs in-race riding interference, to address concerns from jockeys and stewards that recent changes over the past decade have not worked as intended. The key revision would remove the current mandatory minimum suspension penalty for violations, instead granting stewards greater discretion to determine appropriate penalties based on the severity and circumstances of each infraction. This shift aims to provide more flexibility, especially for subsequent violations, where the existing rule’s rigid penalty escalation was seen as impractical and sometimes overly harsh.

Additionally, the CHRB plans to clarify aspects of interference, including reaffirming that a leading horse cannot cross over to force a passing horse to shorten its stride, and refining the conditions under which a horse may be disqualified for interference. The amendments seek to better define when interference affects a horse’s finishing position, allowing stewards to disqualify a horse if the interference occurs at a point in the race where it reasonably costs the other horse a better placing. These changes, supported by stewards and the Jockeys’ Guild, are now open for public comment before a final vote.