Pimlico and Polytrack

[TRM]

Just thinking out loud here, but do you think if Pimlico was using polytrack, that Barbaro's injury could have been less severe?

Thoughts? comments?

[RXB]

It's entirely possible. Certainly made a huge difference at Turfway (from 20 catastrophic injuries down to just three in the comparable time period), although the dirt surface there was probably a little worse than many other dirt tracks.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Check the research online and I believe you will will find the top fracture is not often directly related to surface- also, he ran on various tracks and I have not heard yet of other horses having surface problems on the Pimlico backstetch lately- but I am always willing to learn!
IMO the ideal dirt surface would reflect fracvtions of about 23-24 and 47-48 for most races.
Supposedly the worst are too fast (ubder 23 and 47?) and too slow (mostly slower off-tracks).
Polytrack's rubber has a certain spring to it so absorbes the shock of running better.
Most all human track surfaces have a spring to it.