Jessica Chapel / Railbird

It’s totally a political move and one that is trying to put money into the pockets of the race track owners.

The member tracks don’t want to be forced into changing their Polytrack surfaces…likely a move spearheaded by Martin Collins International — Martin Collins Surfaces and Footings (MCSF) and Keeneland who are partners in the Polytrack venture.

Del Mar is probably feeling pressure to change their main track that has been maligned since it’s installation and is recruiting heavyweights to assist in their fight. Horsemen in SoCal are grumbling that Santa Anita needs to go back to dirt and would prefer to see the same change Del Mar.

What say you? Is there a place in horse racing for “engineered” main tracks?

Posted by Amateurcapper on July 2, 2010 @ 12:08 am

Boy, these people just do not go down quietly into the night.

Until the so called “engineered” surfaces mimic traditional American dirt tracks they will continue to play the “safety card.” However they want to slice up their data will be irrelevant because synthetic materials are an introduction of third basic surface which we haven’t bred for, nor learned to train for, and are now learning to ride on.

But most importantly it fails to address the inherent fragility of the modern thoroughbred.

The horseplaying customers are voting at the betting machines day after day and it has become a landslide defeat. It is time for these companies to regroup and come back with a new product and a new campaign four years from now.

Posted by The_Knight_Sky racing on July 2, 2010 @ 9:38 am

Thanks for the comment, Amateurcapper. Yes, I do think synthetic surfaces have a place in American racing. They’ve proven a viable third option, working out well under certain conditions for certain tracks. And I know it’s hardly popular to say so, but I enjoy handicapping races run over Polytrack, Cushion Track, Tapeta, etc. — I find the results truer to pace and form and the races often more visually interesting. That said, I’d still like to know more about a group such as the Engineered Racing Surfaces Coalition. What the surface issue needs isn’t public relations, but ongoing objective data collection and analysis.

Posted by Jessica on July 5, 2010 @ 11:04 am