POLYTRACK @ WOODBINE

[nativenova]

With Woodbine installing the polytrack this year,would one think they plan on running year round?

[Buddha]

I dont know. Maybe just because of the safety factor, since I think that there hasnt been any catastrophic breakdowns at Turfway yet, or that they run into December if I am not mistaking, and the possibility of inclement weather is greater.

[Observer]

Polytrack is the new "in" thing .. seems like everyone is making a move to have their traditional dirt courses ripped out and replaced with Polytrack .. not really a surprise that Woodbine would follow along.

[Tom]

Can't think of a better place to be in the middle of winter......Northwest Toronto! :eek:

[bettheoverlay]

They will be switching to the 7 furlong standard bred inner track for at least 6 weeks during the transition period. It will be one strange meet, first traditional track, then 7 furlong track, then polytrack. A handicapping puzzle, to be sure.

[Murph]

Depending on conditions, a pure "dirt" track can send clods larger than any jockey's fist sailing towards their head at full accelleration! Hoosier Park had to stop racing after thanksgiving for this reason. The jocks would refuse to ride after the dirt would freeze because the action of the runners front hooves would "shoot" clods at any behind others like rocks from a slingshot.

More entertaining were the rear action clods for me. They were sent 15 to 30 feet in the air and when the backmarkers followed a few lenghts back the clods would "rain" on them. I loved that!

Handicappers who have followed Turfway know that the most likely time for winter track conditions to change is at the point when the track temperature is just above OR just below freezing.

Poly will help Turfway to weather the winter storm (pardon the pun) on those days when they are the only quality racing on the market. I've always admired their tenacity in providing racing "in the dead of winter, in the middle of the night." Polytrack at Turfway is an excellent decision for the mid-west racing circut and for all of the horsemen involved in filling these races.

Can poly help Woodbine conduct racing year round? Not likely, but it could help to stabalize the ratings I make to compare runners shipping from that track. Currently, I have no idea how to rate them.

Murph

[Valuist]

Hoosier always stops after Thanksgiving. They never compete with the winter Turfway meet.

[Murph]

Hoosier Park used to run into the first two weeks of December. That is when the freezing problems begin. The racing dates of Turfway and Hoosier are set to compliment each others programs. When Hoosier ends many barns head to Turfway and begin filling the sub 10K races with full fields.

The state of Kentucky has done an excellent job scheduling and writing race conditions that accomodate most levels of runners. Horsemen show their support by filling their races at all of the various levels. It never occured to me that Hoosier might be in competition with Turfway. It dosen't look that way from my view.
Murph

[Valuist]

In September they are. But September TP is decidedly stronger than the winter meet because a lot of barns go there to get ready for fall Kee and CD.

[Murph]

You are correct, sir. Race conditions more favorable to the sub 10k claiming level are not written at TP until the winter meeting. I believe this is according to an overall plan to give horsemen a year round circut for their runners to compete. I commend Kentucky for having the forsight to run their meetings in this manner. They attempt to maintain their circut while serving runners at all class levels. It is working.

Murph

[maxwell]

Woodbine runs too long as it is. It is far too cold for the jocks to be plodding around out there after Dec. The harness guys wear snowmobile gear to keep out the cold.

I assume poly doesn't need to be watered down for dust control or to prevent it being blown away on a windy day?

If it keeps horses and riders safer, I'm all for it, of course.

[kenwoodallpromos]

I would love to bet on frozen Polytrack!

[BIG49010]

It can't be any worse than the track now, you get some strange outside biased race tracks and the way they move off the turns it is like Turfway now, so with Poly it should be the same. Only time they get a speed bias is Wednesday nights for some reason. I only play the grass races anyway, so might make main track playable.

[46zilzal]

It can't be any worse than the track now, you get some strange outside biased race tracks and the way they move off the turns it is like Turfway now, so with Poly it should be the same. Only time they get a speed bias is Wednesday nights for some reason. I only play the grass races anyway, so might make main track playable.
main track is ALWAYS playable and BETTER when it's cold

[maxwell]

The skinny on polytrack construction :

Top layer is sand, recycled rubber and synthetic fibre. The particles have a wax coating that ensures water flows through to the layers below.

Middle layer is gravel bonded with tar or asphalt; porous enough to allow water through.

Bottom layer is crushed rock; course rock sits on top of a layer of smaller dense rock.

Drainage : a porous pipe sits in a trench below the earth foundation and runs the length of the track. The trench is filled in with rock. Water flows through the pipe to other pipes that take the water away from the track. So there!