§ 4:167 — Deduction from breakage; thoroughbred and quarter horse race meetings

A. Any licensee who is licensed in the state of Louisiana to conduct race meetings where pari-mutuel wagering is permitted shall deduct one-half of the breakage, which is understood to be the amount of money left after paying off the bettors, and shall deposit and retain such amounts in a special account to be used for the purpose of supplementing purses for races written only for Louisiana accredited thoroughbred horses. Amounts so deducted shall be used only at the track where such amount is deducted. The amounts to be supplemented shall be agreed upon by the purse committee of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, and said purse committee shall be vested with complete custody and control thereof. Any amount of money above the purse shall be considered supplemental money and shall be paid from the special account herein provided for directly to the secretary of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association to be disbursed according to the instructions of the purse committee as provided for hereinabove. At the close of the regular licensed meet, any balance remaining in said special account shall be paid over to the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College to be used by it solely for the purpose of conducting research for the improvement of thoroughbred horses. There shall be at least two such races each racing day of said meet, where both supplemental funds and horses are available for the purpose of writing the two accredited Louisiana bred thoroughbred horse races by the racing secretary and purse committee of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association to be agreed upon by the racing secretary. Exclusive of a stake race, a handicap, an overnight handicap, and/or an added money race, whether by subscription or otherwise (except where such a race is restricted to accredited Louisiana bred thoroughbred horses only), no licensee conducting a race meeting under the authority of this Title shall offer or pay a purse in a race, the running of which is restricted to accredited Louisiana bred thoroughbred horses, which is not on a parity with the purse offered or paid in a race not so restricted, where the class of the horse, the claiming price and conditions of the race are substantially the same; provided, in parishes where the population is in excess of 400,000, in no event shall the minimum purse be less than $1,500.00; in parishes where the population is less than 400,000, the minimum purse shall be no less than $1,000.00.
B. Where any licensee holding a racing meet permits racing of both thoroughbreds and quarter horses, he shall keep two separate special accounts, one for thoroughbred horses and one for quarter horses, and the same percentage of breakage shall be deducted from a race run by quarter horses as is required under the provisions of Subsection (A) hereof to be deducted from a race run by thoroughbred horses. The amounts so deducted shall be deposited in the special account for quarter horses and shall be used solely for the purpose of providing supplemental purses for accredited Louisiana bred quarter horses in the same manner and the same extent as is provided in Subsection (A) of this section with respect to thoroughbreds.

Legislative History

Acts 1968, No. 554, §1. Amended by Acts 1970, No. 668, §1; Acts 1972, No. 733, §1; Acts 1975, No. 272, §4, eff. July 16, 1975.