The Rules Governing Horse Racing in Alberta are AMENDED as follows:

Chapter 3: General Horse Racing Rules, Part 6 Standardbred Racing \ Division 4 Racing Rules

The following rule is AMENDED to read:

408 s Preference priority rules

Preference is governed by the following:

(a) if more than the required number of *horses are declared in to a *race with the same preference date, the previous preference dates apply;

(b) when a horse is racing for the first time at the gait declared for it, it has preference for its first start over other horses, regardless of their preference dates;

(c) when a horse is entered for its second lifetime start it has preference over horses that have started twice or more and have an equal preference date to single starter;

(d) if a *declaration is made for a horse that has already been drawn to start in a race that has not yet been contested, the date of that uncontested race is its preference date;

(e) if a horse has been *scratched, other than by the *judges board, the date of the race from which it is scratched is its preference date;

(f) if a race has been reopened for additional declarations, preference is to be given to those horses eligible and declared at the time declarations closed originally;

(g) if conditions so specify, preference can be given to 2-year old horses, regardless of preference date;

(h) if a racing program or any portion of a program is cancelled or a *race is declared no contest, the *horses affected by that cancellation or *declaration shall receive a special preference;

(i) the special preference is good in all categories except *stakes races and is to be considered “best preference”.

408 s Preference priority rules previously stated:

Preference is governed by the following:

(a) if more than the required number of *horses are declared in to a *race with the same preference date, the previous preference dates apply;

(b) when a horse is racing for the first time at the gait declared for it, it has preference for its first start over other horses, regardless of their preference dates;

(c) when a horse is entered for its second lifetime start it has preference over horses that have started twice or more and have an equal preference date to single starter;

(d) if a *declaration is made for a horse that has already been drawn to start in a race that has not yet been contested, the date of that uncontested race is its preference date;

(e) if a horse has been *scratched, other than by the *judges board, the date of the race from which it is scratched is its preference date;

(f) if a race has been reopened for additional declarations, preference is to be given to those horses eligible and declared at the time declarations closed originally;

(g) if conditions so specify, preference can be given to 2-year old horses, regardless of preference date.

Dated in the City of Edmonton
in the Province of Alberta
this 13th day of April 2026.

Kent Verlik, Chief Executive Officer
HORSE RACING ALBERTA