What are the Recall rules for?
9/21/07 KyHarnessRacing.com

    "Recall....Recall....Keep'em behind the gate drivers, as
    long as you need, turn around when you can." Every
    driver has heard the sounds of those words from the
    starter at some point or another. They are words a
    driver hates to hear, unless you are the driver that
    was part of the reason for the recall. Then, at that
    time, you completely appreciate the recall rules.

    What are the "Reasons for Recalls"....Recall Rules?.
    There is a section in the USTA rule book that give the
    reasons for a recall. Here is the Recall Rule:

    Rule 16 - Section 1 - (k)
     Recall - Reason For. - The Starter may sound a
    recall only for the following reasons:
    (1) A horse scores ahead of the gate.
    (2) There is interference.
    (3) A horse has broken equipment.
    (4) There is a malfunction of the starting gate.
    (5) A horse falls before the word "Go" is given.
    (6) A horse comes to the gate out of position.

    Why are there recall rules? FAIRNESS. Fairness to
    the bettors and the horsemen. The idea is to have
    every horse on the gate and a clean start. Behind the
    gate if a horse jumps sideways, it will most likely
    interfere with the horses on one side or the other.
    When this happens the starter has to make a very
    quick decision...deciding if the horse or horses
    interfered with will be able to make it to the gate
    before "their off". Sometimes this decision can be
    very clear, other times it is not so easy. Keep in
    mind, the field of horses are in the starters
    command, and the starter only....no one else, until
    "their off". So the experience of the starter is a very
    important part to fairness of a race and taking care
    of the customers.....the betting public.

    What happens if there is interference and no recall is
    made? That is exactly what happen at The Red Mile
    on Thursday September 13th, in the 3rd race. At the
    start of this race, four horses were way off the gate
    at the start. As horses were coming up to position,
    well before the grandstand, the one horse with
    Michael Neafus, veered quickly to the right, which
    interfered with the two and three horse, causing
    them to wait for clearance. Meantime, the starter Bill
    Napier, continued with the start, having almost half
    the field 2 to 3 lengths off the gate when he said
    "go".

    Drivers Ricky Macomber and Dan Shetler were the
    drivers on the two and three horse and felt like there
    should've been a recall. "The one jump sideways. I
    had to grabbed into my horse. I had my horse pacing
    every pound he could, and we never caught the gate.
    There should've been a recall." Macomber said.
    Presiding Judge Mike Davis said, "We don't have any
    say until the wings fold."

    So, why didn't the starter sound a recall? We don't
    know the answer to that question.

    Let's look at what we do know. Bill Napier, KHHA
    Executive Secretary and Member of the Equine Drug
    Council, was the starter for that race. Napier also is
    paid by the KHHA, who represent the horseman. Now
    what you have, is a starter that is in a very
    compromising position. Is he representing the
    horseman, or working for the Red Mile? If Napier
    fines a driver, and the driver appeals, can Napier
    represent the driver in the hearing? According to the
    Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, Bill Napier is not
    currently licensed as a Starter in the state of
    Kentucky, as of September 19th. Napier was licensed
    as a vender in 2006. The last year he was licensed as
    a Starter was in 2001. Mike Moss, Greg and Dan
    Coon are all licensed by the Racing Authority as
    Starters. Who's responsibility is it? Who approved
    Napier to start?  

    You may not have seen or remember watching that
    race. You may not even care. One thing for sure
    though, the betting public watched the race...And
    you can bet, THEY DO CARE. The betting public
    remembers everything. THE HORSE THAT WAS
    MADE THE FAVORITE BY THE BETTING PUBLIC,
    WAS PUT AT A DISADVANTAGE BEFORE THE
    START, that could've been corrected. The betting
    public never forgets. They never get a second
    chance on any given race. Let's not forget about the
    horsemen. Watch the replay and decide for yourself.
    The betting public have. Remember, the starter is
    the only one that can recall a race.