(Hoyt) Clay Puett (born 1899 Chillicothe, Texas[1] – 1998) was the inventor of the enclosed electric starting gate used at all major thoroughbred race tracks around the world.
On July 1, 1939, Puett's invention made its debut at Exhibition Park Race Track, Vancouver, British Columbia.
[2] By the end of 1940, Puett's gate was a fixture at all major North American race tracks.
Prior to Puett's invention, races were commonly started with ropes, ribbons, or wooden barriers.
As a young man, Puett had worked as a rider, as well as a starter, and knew of the dangers that were associated with these methods for starting a race.