SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Sunday’s seventh race at Saratoga was declared a no-contest because several jockeys pulled their horses up on the backside at the direction of an outrider due to a malfunction with the starting gate tractor. The field of 2-year-old maiden fillies in the two-turn, 1 1/16-mile turf race was on the backstretch when it became apparent there was an issue getting the starting gate off the course. The race starts in midstretch. As the field made its way up the backstretch, an outrider could be seen waving his arms to the riders to pull up. Additionally, several jockeys said they could hear the outrider, Miguel Gutierrez, yelling to pull up. Meanwhile, a second tractor assisted in getting the starting gate safely off the course well before the field entered the stretch. Jen Durenberger, the Jockey Club steward, said that all three stewards and track personnel are trained for such instances. Durenberger said that had the field reached the half-mile pole, sirens and flashing lights would have been activated alerting the riders to pull up. Durenberger said the gate had been moved prior to that point of the race. :: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more “We were content at that point to let the race continue,” Durenberger said. Towhead, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, finished first in the race by a nose over 4-5 favorite Idea Generation, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. All the horses eventually crossed the fine line. After about a 25-minute inquiry, the decision was made to declare the race a no-contest, thus refunding win, place, and show wagers as well as the daily double, pick-3, the Triple Play and pick-4 that began in race 7. More than $600,000 was wagered in the pick-4 that began in race 7. In other multi-leg wagers that involved race 7 - such as the pick-5 and pick-6 - that race was declared an all-win. A statement put out by NYRA read “Due to safety concerns communicated by the outriders to the jockeys, several jockeys pulled up their mounts during the running of the race. As a result, the Board of Stewards declared the race a "No Contest." “Ensuring a safe racing environment for jockeys and horses is paramount,” said Pat McKenna, vice president of communications for NYRA, in a statement. “Our outriders are highly skilled and experienced professionals who made a swift decision today based on concern for the safety of the jockeys and horses in the heat of competition.” Jockey Junior Alvarado was aboard Spunk, a filly owned by Jessica Steinbrenner’s Bach Stable. He said he clearly heard the outrider yell, ‘Stop, the gate is still on the track.’ Alvarado pulled his horse up, and ultimately crossed the wire next-to-last in the nine-horse field. Eric Cancel, who rode Hella Ella, said he, too, heard the outrider instruct the jockeys to pull up. Hella Bella crossed the wire seventh. Alvarado said he was upset that some of the other jockeys continued to ride their horses. “If this happened in the morning and you don’t pull up you get fined, you get suspended,” Alvarado said. “I did what I’m supposed to do. Mrs. Steinbrenner told me she just flew in for this race.” :: Visit the Saratoga Handicapping Store for Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Picks, Betting Strategies and more. Mike Maker trains Towhead, the filly who finished first. He was upset the race was declared a no-contest because now he believes his filly will be in jeopardy of missing out of running in a stakes race at Kentucky Downs due to insufficient earnings. First-place money for Sunday’s race would have been $57,750. McKenna said that NYRA agreed to pay all starters $3,150, or 3 percent of the purse. Those horses will also be given preference in the next maiden turf race for juvenile fillies. “It’s not like I can run her back next week, she ran hard,” Maker said. “I’m sure the Labor Board won’t mind if I don’t pay my help for that race.”