Polytrack a huge success for Keeneland

[samyn on the green]

Huge success for polytrack and Keeneland. Most importantly not one breakdown over the surface and not one jockey hurt. I would like to see this surface replace each and every man made dirt course accross North America. The meet was the first conducted over the new Polytrack surface, which attracted a large contingent of Breeders’ Cup-bound horses to Keeneland during the fall. Field size for the fall meet averaged 10.02 starters per race.

Though final handle figures are not yet confirmed, total all-sources wagering for the 17-day meet, including on-track, off-track and whole card conducted at Keeneland, will exceed $140 million, a new fall meet record. The previous high of $126,036,538 was recorded during the 17-day fall meet in 2003. Last fall, wagering from all sources totaled $124,980,810.

The wagering total includes a single-day fall meet handle record of $12,733,860 set on opening Saturday, October 7. The figure topped the previous record of $12,006,907 set on Saturday, October 4, 2003.

[kenwoodallpromos]

TP reported bigger wagering totals with AW also.

[JustRalph]

TP reported bigger wagering totals with AW also.

I don't know if that will happen at keeneland. I know I wont' be playing it next meet. I am still licking some small wounds from this meet.

I just wonder if keeneland will now be off the list for some..........resulting in a smaller handle next meet

[kenwoodallpromos]

TRACK BIAS MEET(10/06 - 10/26) TRACK BIAS WEEK(10/20 - 10/26)

Distance #
Race %
Wire Best
Style Best
Posts Distance #
Race %
Wire Best
Style Best
Posts
6.5fDirt 16 6% S Rail/Ins 6.5fDirt 7 14% S Middle
7.0fDirt 34 21% P Inside 7.0fDirt 17 24% E/P Rail/Ins
1 1/16mDirt 30 3% P Inside 1 1/16mDirt 6 0% S Inside
1 3/16mDirt 2 50% E Mid/Out 1 3/16mDirt 2 50% E Mid/Out
Turf Sprint 1 0% P Inside Turf Sprint 0 0% - n/a
Turf Routes 24 13% S Inside Turf Routes 9 33% E/P Rail/In
______
According to this inside closers!

[DJofSD]

I would like to see this surface replace each and every man made dirt course accross North America.

The state of CA has a mandate to install artifical surfaces for tracks running meetings more than 30 days -- or something along those lines.

HOL opens on Wednesday with their cushioned surface. Apparently it's been very popular with the trainers. So much so, they ran out of stalls with all the trainers moving their barns there.

We'll have to wait and see what SA and DMR do in southern CA. I don't know what is going to happen for the northern part of the state or the fair circuit.

[Dave Schwartz]

Does anyone have a compiled list of Polytrack tracks and when they switched? I want to make sure I don't miss any.


Dave Schwartz

[ponyplayerdotca]

All Weather synthetic surface switchovers:

TURFWAY PARK - FALL/WINTER MEET end of 2005 POLYTRACK

WOODBINE - Early SEPTEMBER 2006 POLYTRACK

KEENELAND (training track) - Spring 2005 POLYTRACK

KEENELAND (main track) - October 2006 POLYTRACK

HOLLYWOOD PARK - September 2006 CUSHION TRACK


The only tracks that must comply with the synthetic surface installation edict are HOL, SA, DMR, Golden Gate Fields, and Bay Meadows (all major circuits than run meets or more than 30 days). They all must have one installed by end of calendar year 2007.

The California ruling does not affect Los Alamitos (quarter horse racing) or the fair circuit (Fairplex, Solano, Pleasanton, Stockton, etc.). as far as I know. :ThmbUp:

[kenwoodallpromos]

[QUOTE=ponyplayerdotca]All Weather synthetic surface switchovers:

TURFWAY PARK - FALL/WINTER MEET end of 2005 POLYTRACK

WOODBINE - Early SEPTEMBER 2006 POLYTRACK

KEENELAND (training track) - Spring 2005 POLYTRACK

KEENELAND (main track) - October 2006 POLYTRACK

HOLLYWOOD PARK - September 2006 CUSHION TRACK
_________________
To whom it may concern- Hollywood 4f AW workouts are averaging in the 49's, and 1 or 2 in the high 48's- fast to normal (about what Hollywood used to run on dirt). I'm thinking the cheap routes may get fun!

[classhandicapper]

I am surprised the handle was up. I find it hard to believe that the handle was up because of Polytrack. If anything, it was up "despite Polytrack" (up for other reasons).

I know of people that cut back their betting because they didn't want to risk as much on an unknown surface.

I know of people that refused to bet on it after they saw some early results.

I know of no one that was attracted to it and bet more than they otherwise would have at a typical Keeneland meet.

I think this is a case of a very successful meet that the supporters of Polytrack are using to their advantage, but if anything Polytrack was probably a net negative on the handle. It was for me.

[JustRalph]

The prices probably enticed some new action at Keeneland. But, let's see how many return...........

[rrbauer]

DJ wrote:
"We'll have to wait and see what SA and DMR do in southern CA. I don't know what is going to happen for the northern part of the state or the fair circuit. "

Del Mar will have a polytrack for their 2007 meet unless that's changed very recently.

[Dave Schwartz]

Thank you guys for that info. I thought there were more than those.

Dave

[kenwoodallpromos]

I am surprised the handle was up. I find it hard to believe that the handle was up because of Polytrack. If anything, it was up "despite Polytrack" (up for other reasons).

I know of people that cut back their betting because they didn't want to risk as much on an unknown surface.

I know of people that refused to bet on it after they saw some early results.

I know of no one that was attracted to it and bet more than they otherwise would have at a typical Keeneland meet.

I think this is a case of a very successful meet that the supporters of Polytrack are using to their advantage, but if anything Polytrack was probably a net negative on the handle. It was for me.
_____
From At A Glances: "KEENELAND AT A GLANCE

Avg. Winning Odds: 7.21 - 1
Favorite Win%: 35%, Favorite Itm%: 63%

EXOTICS PAYOFF
Exacta/Perfecta: 135.93
Daily Double: 227.10
Trifecta: 1,558.50
Pick 3: 1,159.86
Superfecta: 13,133.60
Pick 6: 24,131.30
Pick 4: 7,930.55"

[ponyplayerdotca]

I'm not saying this did happen, but it's not unheard of that the owners of Keeneland inflated the daily pools with some of their own money. They could have considered it necessary to be able to promote the meet after the fact (make it sound like players missed out on something).

They could have considered such a move as an investment on the public relations side of the track (considering the resistance of many players to play Polytrack at the moment). It wouldn't look very good for them on the PR side if the handle and public interest was down drastically from years past, would it?

I know it was mentioned in a previous post in this thread about how many players avoided or stopped playing the meet quickly after some of the early results. As for me, I refuse to even consider playing any track with synthetic surface. So this idea isn't too far fetched for me to believe.

This is what strikes me: management and owners/trainers publicly say they love synthetic surfaces because of this, that, and the other. And that's all well and good - for THEM.

But correct me if I'm wrong: there is no horse racing without HORSEPLAYERS, right? No wagering means no racing, yes? No racing means no purses to plunder, no race day promotions, and no public interest to spend their entertainment dollars there.

So, if horseplayers ultimately decide NOT to play tracks with synthetic surfaces (or play at vastly reduced levels as in years past), isn't that what matters most to the owners/trainers and management?

How great will the synthetic surface revolution be for THEM if their profits go down the tubes?

[rastajenk]

If there are full fields of viable contenders, the players will be there. Especially at a boutique meet such as Keeneland.

[JustRalph]

ponyplayer is right. If the players could come together.........they could control the business.

This is the only sport where the major players, Jocks, Trainers, Track Management don't have to face the public or the Press.

If Jocks and trainers were scrutinized like A-Rod is, things would be very different.

[bigmack]

From DRF:

Gross all-sources handle was $140,408,982, easily surpassing the former record of $126 million set at the 2003 fall meet. The average daily handle of $8,259,352 was up 12 percent over what the track handled at its 2005 fall meet.

Attendance totaled 233,218, narrowly surpassing attendance recorded at 17-day fall meets in 2003 (232,499) and 2005 (232,429). The daily average was 13,718.
Per-day purses averaged $632,961, up 3 percent over last year.