Keeneland going back to dirt

[Leparoux]

Originally Posted by BIG49010

Growth of 5% per year would have put them over $200,000,000, I guess it has been an expensive experiment.

Purses reflect the fact, they used to some of the best, now there just o.k. I can see why trainers are shipping to Belmont.

6 straight years of HANA #1 track ranking... you make it sound like Keeneland has turned into Turfway Park.

[Tom]

I have bet 1,000 times a many races at TP than KEE and that will never change, no what they put down for a surface. TP is the best track in Kentucky. No, it is the only track.

[BIG49010]

Originally Posted by Leparoux

6 straight years of HANA #1 track ranking... you make it sound like Keeneland has turned into Turfway Park.

Hana #1 ranking has little to do with race meetings players want to bet, and I think most of your bigger players gravitate to meetings that are a little more predictable than those run on poly. So goes the poly, enough said.

[Leparoux]

^Welp, cool.

[Track Collector]

I thought the following excerpt from the article was telling:

Officials have learned from research that proper maintenance of the surface is just as important as the selection of materials from a safety and consistency perspective.

Bingo!

If track owners had spent as much time and money doing so with their existing dirt tracks, we would have only seen one or two tracks, due to their unique situations, go the way of synthetics.

Count me among those who are glad to hear of this decision.

[horses4courses]

Years of bettors moaning about the carpet - and, now......
Once the dirt comes back, I'll be waiting to hear the inevitable
"g'damn rail at Keeneland - you can't beat the inside speed"

Some things never change in this game....

[cnollfan]

Hopefully they will install a dirt track that isn't as irrelevant as Keeneland's had become prior to the switch to Polytrack. 9-1 on Sinister Minister in the Kentucky Derby was an underlay for the ages.

[Hoofless_Wonder]

Originally Posted by Tom

I have bet 1,000 times a many races at TP than KEE and that will never change, no what they put down for a surface. TP is the best track in Kentucky. No, it is the only track.

You could be more wrong, but I don't know how.

Keeneland is tough but the venue is awesome, Churchill is, well CD, Turfway without turf should be called Muleway, but......

Ellis Park is the best track in the state for betting.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Track Collector

I thought the following excerpt from the article was telling:

Officials have learned from research that proper maintenance of the surface is just as important as the selection of materials from a safety and consistency perspective.

Bingo!

If track owners had spent as much time and money doing so with their existing dirt tracks, we would have only seen one or two tracks, due to their unique situations, go the way of synthetics.

Count me among those who are glad to hear of this decision.

If owners were vigilant and were very strict on which horses they let past the vet (even at the detriment of short fields and lost revenue because of less betting interests) they wouldnt have had to blame the dirt tracks and spend all that money on a surface that bettors didnt want.

[BMustang]

Thank God!!! I'll bet Ted Bassett is sleeping better tonight. He never could justify poly expect that Keeneland was selling it. Poly was never "Racing as it was meant to be."

The Bluegrass Stakes has become inconsequential as a derby prep since polys inception, and the day to day races have become the wheel of fortune. In it's truest form, it was nothing but grey turf.

The crowds flock to Keenland for it's ambiance and attraction as a tourist destination. The real horseplayers have stayed away from the windows en masse.

I am completely thrilled that the Keeneland management has come to realize that poly has been a disaster and am happy that they have taken steps to rectify it.

[BMustang]

Originally Posted by Leparoux

6 straight years of HANA #1 track ranking... you make it sound like Keeneland has turned into Turfway Park.

Turfway Park at least has a reason to use it. It allows them (most of the time) to race through the winter months. Keeneland was simply prostituting themselves because they were owners and distributors of the stuff.

[Silver florin]

Originally Posted by Saratoga_Mike

What has happened to KEE's handle since they switched to the synthetic track?

Mine just a few turf races since Polycrap.

[Silver florin]

Originally Posted by Striker

They've set all sources handle records the last 2 years for the fall meet.

Imagine the handle if they were racing on dirt.

[Silver florin]

Originally Posted by Leparoux

That is a pretty unfair way to look at it. 2006 was an outlier compared to the two previous years. Hard to say synth really hurt the handle just by looking at those numbers.

Are you saying Polycrap didn't hurt the handle?

[jahura2]

Just in time for my retirement years!