NORTH AMERICAN BLACK-TYPE REQUIREMENTS

For a stakes race in the United States and Canada to receive black type in SITA catalogues, it must:

• have a minimum purse value of $50,000 available for distribution on the day of the race.
• have a Black-Type Race Quality Score equal to or above the established minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division. 
• close at least 72 hours in advance of its running, have a fee paid for entrant, and have a total purse value available for distribution on the day of the race equal to or greater than the established minimum
• have all entries be eligible for the purse monies used to determine the minimum purse value for black type
• not have restrictions other than state-bred, non-winners of a sweepstakes, sales graduates or state or province based stallions' progeny
• not contain a preference clause(s) based on criteria unrelated to the quality of the horse if such preference clause(s) could possibly exclude any horse(s) of superior quality from competing

 

Only one horse shall be deemed to finish in each of the win, place and show positions of a race, unless there is a dead heat. Dead heat shall mean that a horse is officially placed first, second or third with one or more horses in the applicable race because the horses are determined to physically reach the finish line at the same time, after consideration of any inquiry, objection, disqualification or appeal. In the event more than one horse is deemed to finish in any of the win, place and show positions absent a dead heat, the committee shall retroactively strip the race of its black-type status.

A Black-Type Race Quality Score is the average of the Annual Race Quality Score for each of a race's last three renewals.  The Annual Race Quality Score is the combination of the speed figures assigned to a race by Bloodstock Research Information Services (BRIS), Daily Racing Form (Beyer), Equibase and Thoro-Graph. The Annual Race Quality Score will be calculated based on speed figures provided within 30 days after the date of the race. The speed figure assigned to a race is the average of the speed figure assigned to each of the top four placed horses in the race.

If a race has a Black-Type Race Quality Score and an Annual Race Quality Score for the most current renewal below the established minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division, then a race will lose its black-type status. 

A race that is not conducted for two consecutive years will lose its black-type status.

For turf races the three most current turf renewals will be used to calculate the Black-Type Race Quality Score. If a turf race has not had a renewal on the turf in the last five years, then the three most recent dirt renewals will be used to calculate the Black-Type Race Quality Score.

A race that has lost black-type status must be conducted two times subsequent to losing its black-type status before being evaluated for reinstatement of black-type status.  The race must have a Black-Type Race Quality Score and an Annual Race Quality Score for the most current renewal equal to or above the established minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division in order for black-type status to be reinstated.

Starting in 2014 and thereafter, new races created and existing races with material changes to their conditions will be submitted to a committee of the NAICSC for review prior to the inaugural running to determine if the inaugural running will receive black-type status.  To be eligible for review by the committee a new race must have a minimum purse of $75,000 available to all entries and appear in the track's published stakes schedule.  New races eligible for review and existing races with material changes to the conditions must be submitted to the committee no less than 30 days prior to the day the new race or changed race is to be run. The committee may on an exceptional basis review requests for new races or existing races with material changes that are not submitted 30 days prior to the day the race is to be run.

A race granted black-type status for its inaugural running will need to run under essentially the same conditions for each of its first two renewals, including having a purse of no less than $75,000 available to all entries and achieve an Annual Race Quality Score for each of its first two renewals equal to or above the minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division.  For new turf races that have been approved for black type, if turf conditions for the first or second running cause the race to not be run on the turf, that running of the race will not be considered for renewal eligibility requirements or RQS calculation. The committee will determine whether the renewal of the race will receive black type status. The inaugural running must achieve an Annual Race Quality Score equal to or above the minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division for the second running to maintain black-type status.

New races created in 2014 and thereafter with a purse of less than $75,000 available to all entries must run twice under essentially the same conditions before being evaluated for black-type status.  To receive black-type status for its third running a new race will need to achieve an Annual Race Quality Score for each of its first two renewals equal to or above the minimum Race Quality Score for its age/sex division.

Notice of race name changes must be submitted to the committee.