Virginia Law

No horse may start in a race unless the horse's certificate of foal registration, eligibility certificate or other registration document from the appropriate breed registry is on file with the racing secretary. The certificate of foal registration, eligibility certificate or other registration document must be filed with the racing secretary by the owner, or in his absence by his trainer or authorized agent before the horse may start in a race. However, the stewards may for good cause, in their discretion, waive this requirement, if the horse is otherwise correctly identified to the stewards' satisfaction and the complete past performances of the horse are available to the public. When the stewards waive this requirement, they must submit written notification to the commission.