Turfway to install Polytrack surface

[Valuist]

This one kind of flew under the radar. I believe this is the same surface Remington used after it opened:

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/todaysnews/newsview.asp?recno=54290&subsec=1

[46zilzal]

REMINGTON PARK

The Equitrack surface was installed in Remington Park in the late 1980’s it was at first hailed as the greatest revolution in track surfaces. Horses loved it, there were fewer injuries and faster times, a new world record for six and a half furlongs was set by Silver Icon, a former claimer who improved beyond all recognition he set a time of 1:13 3/5.

However, the Equitrack surface was not equipped to deal with the hot Oklahoma afternoons, it was fast in the morning turning in to a heavy track in the afternoon as the temperature rose. The track surface was also sticky with many trainers complaining that they had to use special detergents to remove it from the horses after work. Eventually Remington Park returned to a conventional dirt track.

Polytrack is in use as a racing surface in Lingfield Park racecourse in England. It boasts greatly reduced kick back and is described as low maintenance. It has been widely endorsed by both jockeys and trainers, and has been approved by the Jockey Club as a racing surface. It has transformed Lingfield Park from a one dimensional speed biased track to a fairer track which calls for a tactical race with more horses now coming from off the pace.

[Pace Cap'n]

It was a rather strange sensation to stand at the rail at Remington and watch the horses glide past in utter silence...not a hoofbeat to be heard in the herd.

[Lasix1]

It was a rather strange sensation to stand at the rail at Remington and watch the horses glide past in utter silence...not a hoofbeat to be heard in the herd.
Yeah, the sound was eerie, and it was also weird to see jockeys finish a race in pouring-down rain and have nothing but water on their silks. No mud, no dirt--just water. And the track was always listed as "Fast."

But 46Zilzal is right. It proved to be a nighmare and Remington dumped it just before the warranty ran out because no amount of maintanence could keep the stuff from clumping up, especially in the winter. I think it will be even worse at Turfway because of the winter weather. Equitrack was essentially high-grade sand mixed with petroleum and it was a strange feeling to be on the rail and get a whiff of the oil. The track smelled more like NASCAR than horse racing. Horsemen complained loudly that horses had all kinds of respiratory problems simply because they had to breathe the fumes. It was eventually these complaints from horsemen and their subsequent threats to take their horses elsewhere that got RP to relent.

But some horses really ran fast times on the surface. Silver Icon was one and there were others as well. But there were plenty of horses that hated the surface too, and if you were handicapping you really needed to pay attention to a horse's record "on-Equitrack" and "off Equitrack."

[witchdoctor]

there was an article in Thoroughbred Times about the training track at Keeenland. Initially, they were looking to import the materials from England before they realized it was cheaper to build a factory and make the stuff in Lexington. It is supposed to be much gentler on horses legs and is NOT impacted by the weather. It is not the same surface that was at RP.

[ceejay]

REMINGTON PARK
However, the Equitrack surface was not equipped to deal with the hot Oklahoma afternoons, it was fast in the morning turning in to a heavy track in the afternoon as the temperature rose. The track surface was also sticky with many trainers complaining that they had to use special detergents to remove it from the horses after work. Eventually Remington Park returned to a conventional dirt track.
I heard (but don't know if it's urban legend or not) that Equitrack got so hot in the summer here that it blistered the horses. I'm glad that it's not the same as they are putting in @ Turfway!

[arkansasman]

I was at Keeneland last Tuesday for the Sale and I went over to the Training Track. The Training Track surface looks almost like it is gray. I picked up some of the top surface and it felt to me like mulch.

[BillW]

I heard (but don't know if it's urban legend or not) that Equitrack got so hot in the summer here that it blistered the horses. I'm glad that it's not the same as they are putting in @ Turfway!

It doesn't look like it would have the thermal capacity nor the thermal conductivity to burn or blister. Probably a legend (or FUD from a competitor :))

Bill

[Lasix1]

there was an article in Thoroughbred Times about the training track at Keeenland. Initially, they were looking to import the materials from England before they realized it was cheaper to build a factory and make the stuff in Lexington. It is supposed to be much gentler on horses legs and is NOT impacted by the weather. It is not the same surface that was at RP.
Still, I'll be very surprised if it functions as advertised, especially in Florence, KY in the wintertime. The same claims were made by the English outfit that provided RP with Equitrack. Do you know if this is the same company?

[witchdoctor]

Different company. It held up on the Keeneland training track this past winter
without any problems. According to TB times, the training track was used everyday this winter. The only ones complaining were some exercise riders who didn't care for ridding when the tempature was less than 10 degrees.

[highnote]

Michael Dickinson uses some kind of synthetic mix on his training track on his farm. He might even use dirt or sand with the mix. He calls it tapeta. Check out his website at http://www.tapeta.com. It's worth a look.

js

[CryingForTheHorses]

Im wondering if this was the same type of surface that Calder had back in the 70's? We called it a tartan track made of a rubber bottom with a bit of sand over it.It was to be a all weather track as the Monsoon rains in the summer here would wash any other surface away,People said it was like the second coming, But as a young groom at the time, I experienced very harsh injuries to horses I looked after when they ran.Granted some horses run down when they run, This tartan track burned them like something Ive never seen, Almost to the bone on some horses and we forever had horses wrecking their knees,The bounce on the track was so tremendous that horses were losing their gait and blowing their knees, I even seen guys put tennis balls cut in half under the banadages to no avail.This may give you fast times and a all weather track but in the long run it will hurt the horses, This track may have survived the winter at the Keeneland trainingtrack but being only a 1/2 mle track what bearing do you really get on it.This track when they had it at Calder became so dangerous as it started to lift and also ripped in spots which became holes in the track endangering the horses and riders on them.My experience with this type of track tells me never to race on it.When a rider or horse would go down on a track like this the heat from the rubber as they slid along would burn them to 3rd degree burns.

[BarnieClockerbigal]

Well I know I am gonna make some money at Turfway this fall.

the new track surface will eliminate any bias. (there will be bombers watch and see). also the track has no kickback. hence no "dirt in face. Front runners will quit. quit. quit. the best jocks will be the patient ones who save horse for the finish. I saw it in action in England. toss the speedballs and concentrate on kickers who can quicken.

[Valuist]

Barnie-

You said there would be no bias but from what you said you saw in England, it sounded like a tiring track favorable to closers. That sounds like a bias to me.

There will always be lots of longshots at TP because a) there's plenty of garbage running in bottom Mdn Clmrs and NW2 claimers, and b) TP is a sort of combination of 3 circuits: Ohio, the cheaper Kentucky horses, and Indiana.

[BarnieClockerbigal]

Barnie-

You said there would be no bias but from what you said you saw in England, it sounded like a tiring track favorable to closers. That sounds like a bias to me.


well it will be in the beginning until jocks learn how to ride it. Any jock who thinks this stuff is like riding a typical American dirt track will get his or her comuppance really early. a speedball who wires the field. It just won't happen.
I saw race after race and Wolferham and Southwell when the front runner just stopped running and a hoss from behind won. also I felt the track at the National horseracing musuem in Newmarket. it's consistancy is remarkable.
100 times better than a dirt track.