Horse racing is governed by more than 30 state agencies. And while there are similarities between the rules in California and New York, elsewhere the regulations can vary dramatically. For example, in California jockeys are prohibited from whipping a horse more than three times without giving it a chance to respond. When American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby in 2015, jockey Victor Espinoza was allowed to hit him 31 times down the stretch. Also, medical records don’t always follow horses from state to state.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 22, 2019 21:22 UTC