Sec. 8. (a) After considering the recommendations of the board, the Indiana horse racing commission may:

(1) conduct educational, informational, and youth programs, and sponsor and expend funds for any program and advertising aimed at promoting the standardbred industry in Indiana;

(2) employ persons to aid in general promotion or race administration programs for the standardbred industry in Indiana;

(3) prescribe standards for race programs and conditions of races, which may include types of races, length of races, positioning of entries, or gait;

(4) disburse available money to supplement purses for any individual race with a cooperating fair or standardbred race meeting;

(5) disburse available money to supplement purses for races having the requirement that the entries be owned by legal residents of Indiana; and

(6) accept and disburse donations, contributions, appropriations, or grants of money or real or personal property.

(b) After considering the recommendations of the board, the Indiana horse racing commission shall distribute available money so that either:

(1) the division between the trotting and pacing gaits of the standardbred horse is as near equal as possible in proportion to entries received for any race program; or

(2) the entries may have been conceived by a stallion that regularly stands within Indiana and that is listed in the standardbred registry.

(c) The Indiana horse racing commission shall establish a standardbred registry.

(d) After considering the recommendations of the board, the Indiana horse racing commission shall collect fees for the registration of standardbred stallions in an amount established by the commission. However, amounts collected may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per stallion.

(e) After considering the recommendations of the board, the Indiana horse racing commission shall establish purses for races or to promote races if the races are open to only the offspring of standardbred stallions registered under subsection (c).

[Pre-2008 Recodification Citation: 15-5-5.5-8.]

As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.10.