A. The organization licensee that is located in a county with a population of greater than six hundred thousand (600,000) according to the most recent federal decennial census shall, for each year it conducts authorized gaming:
1. Conduct annually a race meeting restricted to Thoroughbred horses that provides no fewer than six hundred (600) races for Thoroughbred horses; and
2. Conduct annually a race meeting restricted to Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa horses that provides no fewer than five hundred (500) races for Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa horses within a period of twelve (12) consecutive weeks.
B. Each organization licensee that is located in a county with a population of fewer than four hundred thousand (400,000) according to the most recent federal decennial census shall be required, for each year it conducts authorized gaming, to conduct annually no less than two hundred seventy (270) races for Thoroughbred horses, no fewer than two hundred seventy (270) races for Quarter Horses, and no fewer than sixty (60) races for Paint and Appaloosa horses.
C. An organization licensed pursuant to Section 208.2 of Title 3A of the Oklahoma Statutes shall in order to be eligible to receive money pursuant to the provision of subsection K in Section 4 of this act, conduct annually no less than four hundred (400) total races, which shall include conducting no fewer than an average of four (4) races per day for Thoroughbred horses.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection H of Section 4 of this act, the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission shall approve, upon joint application of the organization licensee and the official horsemen’s representative organization that represents the horsemen for a given breed of horses participating in a given race meeting, a reduction or increase in the number of races to be conducted as prescribed in this section. Any agreed-upon change to the number of races shall include specifying the number of races to be conducted each race day and the calendar days that the races will be conducted. For purposes of any agreement entered into pursuant to this section, a race day shall be not less than seven (7) races nor more than twelve (12) races unless all of the races on a particular day are time trial races. The organization licensees and the elected horsemen’s representative organization shall use their best efforts to establish race meets with the number of races that is reasonable in light of the available purse money, the racing calendar of all organization licensees operating pursuant to this act, and the number of races run at similar facilities in surrounding markets.
E. Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the requirements set forth in this section shall become effective with the first race meeting that commences at each organization licensee following the initial six (6) months that the organization licensee commences authorized gaming as authorized by this act.
Added by Laws 2004, c. 316, § 5, State Question No. 712, Legislative Referendum No. 335, adopted at election held on Nov. 2, 2004.