Santa Anita's announcement delayed.

[rwwupl]

Originally Posted by rrbauer

Del Mar is not going to change according to their GM.
Hollywood is not going to change since it will soon be a commercial development and why would they spend the money on a new surface.
Golden Gate seems happy with their synthetic (which BTW is owned by Stronach).

Santa Anita finds itself in a no-win situation; and, until they solve the drainage problem in the subsurface it won't matter what they do. Big rains will produce big problems.

It should be noted that Del Mar (DMTC) applied for a new 20year lease from the State in the recent past and was granted only a one year extention . That may have something to do with their support of the synthetic. They would have to pay for any new track.

[turfbar]

Now this is not a direct quote but paraphrasing,Nick Zito,for 100's of years US breeders have been breeding for speed why switch to a track that helps European breeding.


Turfbar

[rwwupl]

Originally Posted by andymays

http://www.insidesocal.com/horseraci...ment-dela.html

Excerpt:

Charles said Stronach is due in town shortly and that an announcement will be made at that time. It will be dirt, because there's no way in heck Stronach will OK another synthetic, but no track official will confirm that dirt will be the new racing surface. Charles announced on Jan. 18 that the track would replace its current synthetic Pro-Ride surface at the end of the meet and at the time expected to have a decision in a matter of days, not weeks.

Meanwhile, some in the Santa Anita press box were second guessing the decision to go back to dirt over the weekend, claiming the sealed tracks will lead to the type of breakdowns that plagued the SoCal tracks before the synthetics.

Two things about that:

(1) The bases are now new, not decades old like before the synthetic tracks were installed.

(2) The tighter scrutiny designed to spot unsound horses before they race, both while they warm up and then before they enter the starting gate, was not in place the last time we had sealed tracks.

http://www.insidesocal.com/horseraci...ment-dela.html

I hope it will be dirt,because if it is another synthetic California racing will lose more of its meager loyal support and California can not afford that.

Santa Anita track President Ron Charles has had two synthetics installed now with out success. If he installs another and it has problems he would be called out in another sport, "STRIKE THREE!"

I give him more credit than that.

[FenceBored]

Originally Posted by classhandicapper

I guess it wouldn't but we are talking about a lot more of the premier races in the industry.

Than Keeneland vs. Churchill & NYRA? Don't forget the New York stables that make a pit stop in Lexington on their migration between NYRA and their winter bases.

[tzipi]

Originally Posted by Kimsus

There are alot of factors on the surface that may not be as apparent, you think dirt dominated breeders like synth tracks?

"You think dirt dominated Breeders like synthetic tracks?" What's that mean?

The synthetic BC 's were a mess with Dirt championships turned into turf championships with top G1 TURF horses skipping the top turf races to run in and pretty much dominate the "dirt" races. For example, you had Gio Ponti a top G1 turf horses skip the Turf Classic to run in the Dirt championship? Yeah that would've happened at Belmont or CD,etc
The DIRT BC's dominated. Great TURF fields and great DIRT fields that were seperated.

[Fingal]

Originally Posted by rrbauer

Santa Anita finds itself in a no-win situation; and, until they solve the drainage problem in the subsurface it won't matter what they do. Big rains will produce big problems.

Exactly. No matter what kind of track they put in, the drainage system needs to be replaced, Not just a band aid solution on the cheap. Even Ron Charles said they couldn't get all the sand the cushion track people used & that's the problem ( IMO )

Remember the problems they had with the turf course in the late 1980's & all the options they used trying to save some $$ ? It ended up costing them more in the long run than if they bit the bullet, spent the money & did it right the first time.

[Kimsus]

Originally Posted by tzipi

"You think dirt dominated Breeders like synthetic tracks?" What's that mean?

The synthetic BC 's were a mess with Dirt championships turned into turf championships with top G1 TURF horses skipping the top turf races to run in and pretty much dominate the "dirt" races. For example, you had Gio Ponti a top G1 turf horses skip the Turf Classic to run in the Dirt championship? Yeah that would've happened at Belmont or CD,etc
The DIRT BC's dominated. Great TURF fields and great DIRT fields that were seperated.

I can see them adding a 3rd day to the BC championship if we don't already have 1 day too many, one exlusively held on dirt next time it's held at SA presuming obcourse they actually go through another surface change...I always said it was a third surface, let's make everyone happy.

[joanied]

Originally Posted by cj

We'll see how fine they work in Dubai. They just opened.

I'm also not so naive as to think the switch wasn't in part to end American dominance on dirt.

I also like the reply from the poster that said SA should copy Saratoga's surface...

[miesque]

I would like to point out that Saratoga exists in a diametrically different climate then where Santa Anita is located. It a fine yet extremely important point that some are overlooking. Its like saying, well why don't you use the same type of grass at Santa Anita you do at Arlington. Those So Cal turf courses have Bermuda grass for a reason.

[therussmeister]

Originally Posted by delayjf

They should copy Saratoga's track to a tee.

Including putting it in New York. Then they will have full fields.

[elhelmete]

Despite being in SoCal, SA (and OSA, of course) does experience a pretty big temperature swing throughout a day.

It'll be damn near freezing in the AM and warm up to 70 or so this time of year. Add in the shadows and the moisture funneled in by the mountains, and it can be tricky.

All of this points to the need for the very best base and surface and top-notch maintenance day to day.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by Fingal

Exactly. No matter what kind of track they put in, the drainage system needs to be replaced, Not just a band aid solution on the cheap. Even Ron Charles said they couldn't get all the sand the cushion track people used & that's the problem ( IMO )

Remember the problems they had with the turf course in the late 1980's & all the options they used trying to save some $$ ? It ended up costing them more in the long run than if they bit the bullet, spent the money & did it right the first time.

And the weather in that area of the country is unique because it is extremely dry for 10 months and extremely wet for 2 months, which is certainly a unique challenge. Plenty of places have "wet" periods, but usually not after having hardly any rain for the rest of the year.

[Tom]

Franky is just getting prices on enough of this to cover the whole track....

[DeanT]

Originally Posted by turfbar

Now this is not a direct quote but paraphrasing,Nick Zito,for 100's of years US breeders have been breeding for speed

Which is the problem, because "breeding for speed" results in 2.03 deaths per every 1000 starts. Horse racing will not be around forever unless they change the breed, whether we like it or not, imo. The general public will not stand for that kind of death rate any longer.

[gm10]

Originally Posted by andymays

http://www.insidesocal.com/horseraci...ment-dela.html

Excerpt:

Charles said Stronach is due in town shortly and that an announcement will be made at that time. It will be dirt, because there's no way in heck Stronach will OK another synthetic, but no track official will confirm that dirt will be the new racing surface. Charles announced on Jan. 18 that the track would replace its current synthetic Pro-Ride surface at the end of the meet and at the time expected to have a decision in a matter of days, not weeks.

Meanwhile, some in the Santa Anita press box were second guessing the decision to go back to dirt over the weekend, claiming the sealed tracks will lead to the type of breakdowns that plagued the SoCal tracks before the synthetics.

Two things about that:

(1) The bases are now new, not decades old like before the synthetic tracks were installed.

(2) The tighter scrutiny designed to spot unsound horses before they race, both while they warm up and then before they enter the starting gate, was not in place the last time we had sealed tracks.

http://www.insidesocal.com/horseraci...ment-dela.html

If this happens, good luck explaining a rise of +30% in fatalities. Hope it will have been worth it for you.