Section 19500.

(a) A jockey who agrees to exercise a racehorse shall be paid no less than the standard rate that is paid to exercise riders unless the jockey has been employed to ride that racehorse in a parimutuel race or the jockey is engaged in an official timed and recorded workout. If there is a dispute over the standard rate for exercising a horse, the steward shall determine the rate.

(b) The board shall adopt regulations no later than July 1, 2007, consistent with existing practice of the stewards, that provide both of the following:

(1) Establish the circumstances under which a jockey is entitled to receive a mount fee when he or she is removed from a mount prior to scratch time.

(2) Establish the circumstances under which a jockey is entitled to receive both a mount fee and the riding fee when he or she is removed from a mount after scratch time.

(c) The paymaster of a racing association or racing fair shall not disburse any sum from a jockey's compensation to any person other than the jockey except with the written permission of the jockey, upon order of the board, or pursuant to a court or administrative order.

(d) For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply:

(1) "Scratch time" means the time designated by the purse agreement when final changes in racing programs must be made.

(2)  "Riding fee" means the amount of money, whether calculated as a percentage of the purse or by any other means, that is due to a jockey in addition to the jockey mount fee as a result of the performance of a racehorse in a race.

(3) "Mount fee" is the fee that is paid a jockey who accepts a mount on a racehorse.

(Added by Stats. 2005, Ch. 329, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2006.)