(a) In early closing events, stakes and futurities no more than 12 horses on a half-mile track, or 16 horses on a track in excess of a half mile, in two tiers, allowing eight feet per horse, will be allowed to start in any dash or heat. Where there are more than 12 or 16 horses, as the case may be, declared in to start, the track conducting the event must adopt one of the following methods to be stated before positions are drawn. All elimination heats and the concluding heat must be programmed to be raced upon the same day or night unless published conditions provided otherwise.

1. (i) In stakes and New York-sired events, the race may be divided into as many divisions as necessary, each division racing one heat for the portion of the purse resulting from dividing the total purse (before allocation of starting fees) by the number of divisions and adding to each division the starting fees paid for each starter in such division.
2. (ii) In early closing events the race may be divided by lot and at least 50 percent added to the advertised purse and raced in two divisions; each division racing for one half of the total increases purse as above provided. If three or more divisions are necessary, the track shall add an amount sufficient to allow each division to race for at least 75 percent of the purse originally advertised.
3. (2) The race may be divided into two divisions by lot and raced in two elimination heats with all money winners from both heats competing in the final. Each division shall race one elimination heat for 20 percent of the total purse and the remainder of the purse shall be distributed to the money winners in the final.
4. (3) The race may be divided by lot and raced in two divisions, each of which shall race two heats for 20 percent of the purse each heat. The heat winners from both divisions shall compete in a final heat for the remaining 20 percent of the purse which shall go to the winner.
5. (4) The field may be divided by lot into two divisions, the first division to race for 30 percent of the purse, and the second division to race for 30 percent of the purse. The horses qualifying in the first and second divisions shall race the third heat for 30 percent of the purse. The race winner shall receive the remaining 10 percent of the purse. If after the third heat no horse has won two heats, a fourth heat shall be raced by only the heat winner to determine the winners of the race.
6. (5) The race may be divided in two divisions by lot and raced in two elimination heats with the first four horses finishing in each heat competing in the final event. Each division shall race one elimination heat for 30 percent of the total purse and the remainder of the purse shall be distributed to the money winners in the final event.
7. (6) The race may be divided in such other method as set out in the conditions approved by the commission.
8. (7) In the event there are more horses declared to start than can be accommodated by two qualifying dashes, there will be scheduled enough elimination dashes to take care of the excess. The percent of the purse raced for in each elimination dash will be determined by dividing the number of elimination dashes into 60. The main event will race for 40 percent of the purse. If there are two elimination dashes, the first four finishers in each dash qualify for the final; if three or four elimination dashes, the first three horses in each dash qualify for the final; if five or six elimination dashes, the first two horses in each dash qualify for the final.

(b) Division methods.

(1)