Starter mishaps....

[mommy_peanut]

Do the entries have any recourse if the starter causes a mishap?

Just watched race 2 at Del Mar. You can clearly see horse 7 acting up & then yelling “he’s not on, he’s not on, he’s not on!” just as the starter opens the gates.
As horse 7 comes out(well behind the others) the jockey is sitting down on the horse & his feet don’t look to be in the irons.
Now granted it looks like the jockey gets squared away within a stride or two, but the horse was clearly as a disadvantage.
They finished 4th while continuing to make up ground, so possibly could have placed with a “normal” start.

Just curious if there’s ever an inquiry or “foul” put up against the starter?

[Palm_Beach]

He/she gets fired.

I always got a kick out of the last name of MD’s past longtime starter Eddie Blind.

[Matador]

Actual starter mishaps (along with an entry being declared a ‘non-starter’) seem to be pretty rare. I’ve only seen two. It doesn’t count if the horse refuses or dwells in the gate as long as the assistant releases on time.