DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE  
FAIRS, EXHIBITIONS AND RACING DIVISION  
REGULATION NO. 814. FUTURITY AND SIRE STAKES RACES  
(By authority conferred on the director of the department of agriculture by section 20 of  
1995 PA 279, MCL 431.320)  
R 285.814.1 Definitions.  
Rule 1. As used in these rules:  
(a) "Commission" means the commission of agriculture.  
(b) "Department" means the department of agriculture.  
(c) "Director" means the director of the department or his or her designee.  
(d) "Domicile" means the fixed, permanent, and principal home to which a person intends  
to return.  
(e) "Fair" means a county, district, community, or 4-H fair and any other state fair in this  
state that has been approved by the director to conduct harness horse races during the fair.  
(f) "Fairs, exhibitions and racing division" means the fairs, exhibition and racing division  
of the department.  
(g) All of the following are futurity races:  
(i) "Charles coon memorial futurity race" means a futurity for 4-year-old standardbred  
harness horses which were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year or supplemental  
payment in the yearling year and which meet the conditions as published for the race.  
(ii) "Fedele Fauri futurity race" means a futurity for 2- and 3-year-old standardbred  
harness horses which were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year or supplemental  
payment in the yearling year as provided for in the race conditions.  
(iii) "Michigan Breeders Futurity" means a futurity for 2- and 3-year-old standardbred  
harness horses which were nominated by July 15 in the foaling year or supplemental  
payment in the yearling year and which meet the published conditions.  
(iv) "Michigan futurity race" means a futurity for 2- and 3-year-old standardbred harness  
horses which were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year or supplemental payment in  
the yearling year and which meet the published conditions.  
(v) "Michigan sire stakes" mean a futurity for 2 and 3-year standardbred horses which  
were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year or supplemental payment in the yearling  
year and which meet the published conditions.  
(vi) "Spartan futurity" means a futurity for 2- and 3-year old standardbred harness  
horses which were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year and which meet the published  
conditions.  
(vii) "Wolverine futurity" means a futurity for 2- and 3-year old standardbred horses  
which were nominated by July 15 of the foaling year or supplemental payment in the  
yearling year and which meet the published conditions.  
(h) "Lessee" means a person who is domiciled in this state and who leases a stallion that  
has been registered with the USTA.  
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(i) "Owner" means a person or persons who are domiciled in this state and who are  
recorded in the USTA sires and dams register.  
(j) "Race" means a race event for a definite purse to which the entries close at a prescribed  
time preceding the race.  
(k) "USTA" means the United States trotting association.  
(l) "Michigan-sired standardbred horse" means a standardbred horse that satisfies any of  
the following provisions:  
(i) The first foal per year, with the exception of twins carried to term by the natural mother,  
which is from a Michigan owned standardbred mare at the time of breeding and which is  
sired by a Michigan-owned or leased stallion, duly registered with the fairs, exhibitions  
and racing division.  
(ii) The first foal per year, with the exception of twins carried to term by the natural  
mother, from a mare which is owned exclusively by a resident or residents of this state at  
the time of conception and which is conceived outside of this state by means of  
transported semen from a standardbred stallion that is registered with the department.  
(iii) The first foal per year, with the exception of twins carried to term by the natural  
mother, from a mare which is owned exclusively or in part by a nonresident of this state at  
the time of conception and which is conceived outside of this state by means of semen  
transported from a standardbred stallion registered with the department, if the transport  
fee is paid to the department's agent by November 1 of the year in which the foal is  
conceived.  
(m) "Offending horse" means a horse that causes a disruption or an accident in a race.  
(n) "Racing program" means a series of not less than 8 standardbred horse races held at a  
county fair within a specified block of time.  
(o) "Registered stallion" means a stallion that was registered, on forms provided by the  
director, with the department, by January 1 each year in which the stallion will be standing  
at service in this state from January 1 to July 31 of the calendar year in which it is registered.  
A newly acquired stallion, which has not been in this state for breeding purposes before  
January 1 of a given year and has not serviced any mares after December 31 of the  
preceding year, is registered with the department before servicing any mares if its foals  
are to be eligible for Michigan tax-supported races. Transportation of semen from a  
registered stallion to a location out of this state does not affect the eligibility of a Michigan-  
sired standardbred foal for purses provided for in this rule.  
(p) "Transport fee" means a fee paid for a foal from a mare, which is owned exclusively  
or in part by a nonresident of this state at the time of conception and which is conceived  
outside this state by means of transported semen from a standardbred stallion that was  
registered with the department.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1989 AACS; 1995 AACS; 2002 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.1a Determination of domicile.  
Rule 1a. The following factors shall be considered when determining domicile:  
(a) Voting registration or alien registration showing a Michigan address.  
(b) Federal income tax return showing a Michigan address.  
(c) State income tax return showing a Michigan address.  
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History: 1981 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.1b Eligibility  
Rule 1b. A horse must be a Michigan-sired standardbred horse and meet the established  
conditions of the race in order to be eligible to race in any futurity or stakes races, which  
are supplemented with state funds.  
History: 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.2 Kinds of futurity races.  
Rule 2. (1) The Michigan futurity race, the Fedele Fauri futurity race, the Michigan sire  
stakes, the Spartan futurity, the wolverine futurity, and the Michigan breeders futurity  
shall be comprised of all of the following individual races:  
(a) Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.  
(b) Two-year-old pacing fillies.  
(c) Two-year-old trotting colts and geldings.  
(d) Two-year-old trotting fillies.  
(e) Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.  
(f) Three-year-old pacing fillies.  
(g) Three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.  
(h) Three-year-old trotting fillies.  
(2) Monies provided by the director for the special purses for the races listed in  
subrule (1) of this rule shall be divided equally among the races.  
(3) The Charles Coon memorial futurity shall be comprised of both the following  
individual races:  
(a) Four-year old trotting horses, geldings and mares.  
(b) Four-year old pacing horses, geldings and mares.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1989 AACS; 2002 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.3 Host race sites; designation.  
Rule 3. (1) The director shall designate annually which pari-mutuel track or tracks shall  
host the Michigan sire stake races. To assist the director in designating the track and to  
help determine the time and conditions of the races to be run, an advisory panel is  
established and shall consist of the following 6 persons:  
(a) The president, or his or her designee, of the Michigan harness horsemen's association.  
(b) The president, or his or her designee, of the Michigan standardbred horse breeders'  
association.  
(c) The Michigan racing commissioner, or his or her designee.  
(d) The association of northern fairs and racing president or his or her designee.  
(e) A representative of the pari-mutuel harness race meet licensees.  
(f) A member of the department who is designated by the director shall act as chairman  
of the panel.  
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(2) The director shall make announcements of the track or tracks receiving the races not  
later than November 1 preceding the year in which the races are to be conducted.  
(3) The director shall designate the fairs to host the Michigan futurity races and Fedele  
Fauri futurity races. The Michigan futurity race shall be awarded to a fair located in the  
Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The Fedele Fauri futurity race shall be awarded to a fair  
located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan if a fair from the Upper Peninsula applies for  
the race.  
(4) The director shall not award at the same fair more than 1 futurity race.  
(5) If, because of unfavorable weather or other unavoidable reasons, a futurity race is  
postponed, it may be rescheduled by the director. The director may reschedule the race at  
another fair if the fair originally designated to host the futurity is unable to hold the race.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1989 AACS; 1995 AACS; 2002 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.4 Purse distributions.  
Rule 4. (1) Michigan futurity races shall be conducted in 1 heat unless elimination races  
are required.  
(2) Each purse in Michigan futurity races that have 5 or more starters shall be divided as  
follows: 50%-25%-12%-8%-5%. If there are fewer than 5 starters, then all uncontested  
money shall be paid to the winner. If there is a premium or premiums for which a horse  
started but was unable to finish due to an accident, then all unoffending horses that did not  
finish shall share equally in the premiums. If there are fewer unoffending horses failing  
to finish than there are premiums for which horses have started but have not finished, then  
the number of premiums in excess of the number of unoffending horses not finishing shall  
go to the winner.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1989 AACS; 2002 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
R 285.814.5 Elimination heats.  
Rule 5. Elimination heats shall be raced pursuant to USTA rules, unless published in the  
conditions of the race and approved by the director.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 2002 AACS.  
R 285.814.6 Starting rules.  
Rule 6. The starting rules shall be the U.S.T.A. starting rules.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS.  
R 285.814.7 Final reports; additional information; records of payment; retention.  
Rule 7. (1) Within 15 days after completion of Michigan futurity races or September  
30, whichever is sooner, a fair association shall submit to the director originals of the  
judges' sheets signed by the presiding judge, a sworn statement on forms provided  
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by the director, and a copy of the printed race program indicating the order of finish of  
the horses.  
(2) The fair association shall supply the director with any additional information required  
in auditing the report.  
(3) Fair association records pertaining to the payment of purses shall be kept for the state  
auditors for not less than 4 years.  
History: 1979 AC; 1981 AACS; 1989 AACS; 2002 AACS.  
R 285.814.8 Registration.  
Rule 8. (1) The owner or lessee shall register a standardbred stallion, on forms provided  
by the fairs and racing division, by January 1 each year in which the stallion will be  
standing at service in this state.  
(2) The owner or lessee of a newly acquired stallion, which has not been in Michigan for  
breeding purposes before January 1 of a given year and which has not serviced a mare after  
December 31 of the preceding year, shall register the newly acquired stallion, on forms  
provided by the fairs and racing division, before the stallion services a mare. If the  
stallion is leased, a copy of the lease agreement shall accompany the fairs and racing  
division application for registration.  
History: 1981 AACS.  
R 285.814.9 Rescission.  
Rule 9. Regulation No. 803 governing "Special Purses on Michigan Sired Colts," being  
R 285.803 of the Michigan Administrative Code and appearing on pages 370 to 373 of the  
1957 Annual Supplement to the Code, is rescinded.  
History:1979 AC.  
R 285.814.10 Fees and nominations.  
Rule 10. (1) The Michigan harness horsemen's association is designated and shall serve  
as the department's agent for purposes of administering approved procedures governing  
nominations and sustaining functions for all stakes and futurities and may be designated  
the collecting and holding agent for all fees by the sponsors of the stakes and futurities.  
While acting as the department's agent under this rule, the Michigan harness horsemen's  
association shall not require that persons be members of the Michigan harness horsemen's  
association as a condition of nominating and participating in stake and futurity races  
designated by the director to be eligible to receive state purse supplements. The Michigan  
harness horsemen's association may charge a reasonable service fee to nonmembers to  
perform this function. If the Michigan harness horsemen's association is unable or  
unwilling to serve as the department's agent under this rule, then the director may designate  
and appoint another agent of his or her choice. Final decisions on application of procedures  
shall be made by the director.  
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(2) The advisory board consisting of representatives from northern fairs and racing  
association, Michigan harness horseman association, Michigan standardbred breeders  
association, the office of the racing commissioner and chaired by the director or his or her  
designee shall recommend fees and nominations and transport fees. The board's  
recommendation shall be submitted to the commission for review and approval.  
History: 2002 AACS; 2004 AACS.  
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