All Weather Track Strikes Again

[surfdog89]

Rain, however, was never a pressing issue in California until the synthetic era. In its first 74 years of racing on dirt, Santa Anita canceled four cards due to rain. In three years of synthetics, it has had to cancel racing 17 times.


Daily racing form writer Steven Crist..........................

[Deepsix]

Cancel the card, or DON"T. That is the question? I don't know about you people BUT as for me on those wet/rainy days (off turf because of weather) I'm very satisfied, or maybe better said it has zero impact if they cancel the card, because I don't play those tracks ANYWAY. Typically a sloppy surface, about half the field has scratched, and nobody runs to form. I suppose you can rely on your Mudders/Turfers numbers and bet those crazy fields BUT I'll wait for better weather, thank you.

I skip those days, fer sure. You people can have 'em.

[Relwob Owner]

Originally Posted by hibiscus

Is the following fact part of my “ridiculous bias”?

In its first 74 years of racing on dirt, Santa Anita canceled four cards due to rain. In three years of synthetics, it has had to cancel racing 17 times.

You’ve had a hair up your ass about NYRA since you’ve joined the board. Your moronic threads and posts are evidence of that.

Substantiate your mischaracterization of my comment as being biased or please retract it.

I wouldnt hold your breath in terms of waiting for a retraction. In my opinion, your post was far too sharp and concise to get one from MP......he is still attempting to get the LMAO emoticon to appear in one of his posts after something funny is written-he is currently 0 for 37, I believe

[Tom]

If SA had a drainage system that worked, do you think they would need to cancel? If they had dirt over this same system, wouldn't they sill have the same problems?

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by Tom

If they had dirt over this same system, wouldn't they sill have the same problems?

There have been much rainier seasons in the past over the old dirt track and SA never missed a day. One year, 68 I believe, they got so much rain that the track was designated as heavy a few times, something we do not see in this modern era. The track was so deep and soaked that good allowance sprinters were running 6 furlongs in 1:15 and change.

[CincyHorseplayer]

They could run on it if they wanted.

But it would defy the definition of an "All weather surface".

Something they aren't ready to come to terms with.Ask AndyMays!

[BluegrassProf]

Originally Posted by Relwob Owner

I wouldnt hold your breath in terms of waiting for a retraction. In my opinion, your post was far too sharp and concise to get one from MP......he is still attempting to get the LMAO emoticon to appear in one of his posts after something funny is written-he is currently 0 for 37, I believe

Agreed: no breath-holding required. Seems the MP rhetorical-editorial posts are dismissed fairly readily by most parties...best to read, smile & chuckle with a slight headshake, and simply move on.

But I digress...

I'm ready for a new go, Santa A.; all-weather rulez, dirt droolz!!!

(I'll take my cash in the form of both small bills and three big-rigs of Stage Planks, Mr. Stronach. And perhaps a pool chair to lay out next to your giant friggin' swimming pool.)

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

There have been much rainier seasons in the past over the old dirt track and SA never missed a day. One year, 68 I believe, they got so much rain that the track was designated as heavy a few times, something we do not see in this modern era. The track was so deep and soaked that good allowance sprinters were running 6 furlongs in 1:15 and change.

For the kids in the audience, a heavy track is a drying out track and times get real slow. I have seen cheap claimers run 6F in 1:20 and change on it. I don't believe it possible to have one in this day and age. They no longer mix clay in to loose soil and use way too much sand for it to occur. It had a gooey firm texture like that of wet cement.

[A. Pineda]

Originally Posted by Tom

If SA had a drainage system that worked, do you think they would need to cancel? If they had dirt over this same system, wouldn't they sill have the same problems?

They would scrape the track surface to remove the mud, which made for a very hard footing where speed ruled. Some trainers refused to run their horses on that surface, but the show always went on.

By the way, a perfect example of "irony" would be a photo of horses galloping in the rain on the dirt training track last Saturday, while the adjacent Pro-Ride track was forming pools of water at the 1/8 and finish line while the maintenance crew scrambled for tarps.

[therussmeister]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

There have been much rainier seasons in the past over the old dirt track and SA never missed a day. One year, 68 I believe, they got so much rain that the track was designated as heavy a few times, something we do not see in this modern era. The track was so deep and soaked that good allowance sprinters were running 6 furlongs in 1:15 and change.

But with the change to synthetics, they changed the drainage system. That is Tom's point. They forgot to put in the all-weather drainage system.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by therussmeister

But with the change to synthetics, they changed the drainage system. That is Tom's point. They forgot to put in the all-weather drainage system.

Not a problem. When they rip out the plastic track and return to dirt, reinstall the drainage system that worked for 70 years. Perhaps even tweak it a bit and make it even better than it was.

[WinterTriangle]

Topic title should read :all weather track at SA

There are AW tracks, like Woodbine, that hold up just fine to weather. I'm sure there are others.

Do ya'll think they could have run on the Churchill dirt track when it was flooded in August?

[Kimsus]

The title should read pro-ride to be completely accurate, I think this is the problem not AW or all synth tracks.

[46zilzal]

This track is, in a word, EMBARRASSING to the sport.

[Joey D]

Originally Posted by WinterTriangle

Topic title should read :all weather track at SA

There are AW tracks, like Woodbine, that hold up just fine to weather. I'm sure there are others.

Do ya'll think they could have run on the Churchill dirt track when it was flooded in August?

You are correct..I was trying to emphasize the irony of the situation and I agree about the Pro-Ride..Hollywood has had no problems with it's track that I know of and Del Mar has no weather issues such as rain.

Today's announcement by Stronach makes me sick-No change in the surface forthcoming.

I guess you check the weather forecast and if it's going to rain more than a little bit, you use your Santa Anita PP's as fish wrap.

What a shame, one of the most beautiful settings in all of racing..