Santa Anita Injuries; Trainers meet, complain
 

Seems like every day so far into this meet horses have been vanned off or broken down....So far it does not look like Pro-Ride is a very safe surface this meet...hope this trend stops and the horse injuries run safe!

I cant imagine how cheap claimers going 42 and change (half mile split) is unsafe...:eek:

uninformed post...have you looked at the charts this meet?

Fatal injuries prompt concern over track
By Jay Privman
ARCADIA, Calif. - Even though Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface came through a recent spate of wet weather without losing any days to training, there has been growing concern among trainers over injuries at the track, and those fears may have been further inflamed on Wednesday when Boozin' Bear sustained fatal injuries in the day's first race.

Boozin' Bear, who suffered a condylar fracture to his right hind leg, became the third horse to be euthanized from racing injuries during the first five days of the meeting. All the horses were racing on the main track.

The first death occurred in the first race of the meet last Friday, when two horses were pulled up. One of them, Warren's Zenzo, could not be saved and was euthanized.

Flashing Forward, a 4-year-old filly who broke down in Monday's seventh race, was subsequently euthanized, Dr. Jill Bailey, Santa Anita's track veterinarian, said Wednesday.

In addition, the stakes-winning filly Indyanne sustained career-ending injuries in the La Brea Stakes last Saturday.

According to Bailey, no horses have been euthanized as a result of training injuries in the morning, though she said a horse who was injured Monday morning was undergoing surgery on Wednesday.

Ron Charles, Santa Anita's president, said he could not explain the recent injuries. He said he had been in touch with Ian Pearse, the founder of Pro-Ride, and said Pearse intends soon to travel from his native Australia to look anew at the surface.

"This track has been very safe for three months," Charles said, referring to the successful Breeders' Cup held here in October, "but the last week has been different from what we had. We want it back to the safe track we've had. It's been so well received for three months. The last week has been difficult. It's so hard to explain. In the mornings it seems to be well received. I've had many trainers saying 'Don't change anything.'

"We did power harrow the track on Tuesday. Whether we're going through a horrific bad time or it's something we're not doing right, I don't have the answer. Believe me, I wish I had the answer. We're going to keep looking and see what we can do. There's just been way too many the past week. We've got to figure out what the problem is."

Boozin' Bear, a 3-year-old maiden gelding trained by Carla Gaines, was racing for the fourth time on Wednesday. He had finished third in a similar maiden race at Hollywood Park on Dec. 4.

Boozin' Bear was eased in the stretch by jockey Rafael Bejarano, who hopped off after it was apparent the horse had gone wrong in his right rear leg with an injury that resembled Barbaro's in the 2006 Preakness Stakes. Boozin' Bear was removed from the track via horse ambulance, but only after track workers came on the main track and put up a green screen, which startled the stricken animal.

Santa Anita's main track had equipment on it on Tuesday afternoon designed to fluff up the surface. New Year's Eve is often a big day for workouts - since trainers like to sleep in on New Year's Day, too, following evening revelry - but with many horses having worked on the weekend, activity was lighter than usual, with 94 horses recording works.

Eoin Harty did not work any horses on Wednesday. He was one of several trainers on Wednesday who expressed concern over the surface.

"It was dug up last night, so I'm erring on the side of caution," said Harty.

Pro-Ride is the second synthetic surface to be installed at Santa Anita in the past 18 months. Its old dirt track was replaced with Cushion Track in the summer of 2007, but that synthetic surface was removed in the summer of 2008 after it failed to drain during the winter meet one year ago.

California tracks were given a mandate by the California Horse Racing Board to install synthetic surfaces by the end of 2007.

I'm hearing that there are some horses out there that are not scoping very well either. Seems some of the residue from the Pro-Ride surface is in the lungs. Curious if Honu or anyone else can confirm that scenario.

Without putting out any specifics or exposing anyone's business, I can tell you that I know for a fact that this is true. I don't know how widespread it is but I personally know of two horses that have been affected pretty bad.

KG...I have it on very good authority as well. I was just wondering if anyone else knew of any other cases.

I guess no one cares to discuss this particular situation. A shame really...

Poor GPK......

Blah...blah. It's a serious issue...but if swept long enough and hard enough, it will disappear under the rug.

Is this a kindler, gentler Hussy for 2009???
































God I hope not

It's bad enough the surface looks like a river of poo.

Well quit, I like the a$$hole Jay:)

Synthetic Tracks and Global Warming are two things I'd rather not talk about in 2009.

We can talk about it until we are blue in the face on Nerdy Trail, but it is not going to change anything.

The people that own and train the horses that run at SA need to be talking about it, they are the only ones that can force a change if there is a serious problem.

If the horses are breathing this junk in, arn't the jockeys?
Seems like someone would say something in public.

Maybe this could be an issue that Hammersly could discuss on Steve's show??

Now you're talking.

Byk, what are the chances you can ask him about it? Or if need be, if I am avalaible, I will call and ask him about it?

Will definitely be talking to Hammer about it this week. It's frequently something Ron Charles (SA President) would address publicly though, and he's very comfortable coming on the air as well...

The 10 horse I needed to win the last race yesterday didn't look that great at the end of that race either(course I noticed later that Pedroza was looking down at the horse's legs after the horse ran well at HWD last time.) Guess trainer Jorge Gut-y-error-ass didn't have that under control(or was hoping to get sold.) I think HWD'S cushion track has worked out pretty well, and it's the most dirt-like of the synthetics. Wish they would have used that from the beginning, but they freaked out about it getting hot at Anita. So, they used some different formula Cushion track. From then until now it's been problematic. The fall meet was o.k. (with Pro-Ride,) but I still think the original cushion track at HWD is better. If you can get a clear lead in a sprint, then you have a very good chance to win. If you are part of a contested lead(at all) in a sprint, then seems like you aren't gunna win. It's weird. I prefer the original version Cushion Track. No, I do not prefer the dirt track Anita had. You couldn't win very many sprints from anywhere that was more than a couple lengths off. Just like the Malibu won by Frankel/Prado. Sit close-big advantage.

Cool, thanks SB

Hey, can you also please talk to Rick Arthur, to see if horses are indeed scoping differently?

( I don't understand that, if it's true, as ProRide is huge particles compared to dirt)

It's disheartening to see the number of injuries over the new surface . Maybe Steve can shed some light on this matter .

Do the horses that are coming back and scoping this residue in their lungs concern you at all?

Yes . However, the primary issue is the breakdowns or immediate injuries after running over the track .

So the horses that are scoping this residue in their lungs after working and racing on this surface are secondary to the breakdowns or other injuries?? Interesting concept.

I heard today on the TV that they have not had a training breakdown in 3 months with tons of works, any chance this just could be random bad luck? Even Bobby Frankel likes the track and Frankel does not like much when it comes to surfaces.

I have been pleasently surprised, the track is much better for the player then it was during oak tree.

a bit short-sighted, don't you think?

There does appear to be some good things to build on . Santa Anita is running tests on the surface . http://thoroughbredtimes.com/nationa...-Pro-Ride.aspx

Horses break down on and off the track everyday. Some days are worse than others.
For several years experts have said for example that Saratoga is a very safe dirt track. Consider this experts: Many horses racing at the Spa a young and fresh reulting in fewer injuries. Yes, this is a dirt track and similar to others around the country.
Consider factors like meds, lightly raced, lightly worked and trainers playing "protect" it seems there is more to consider than just surfaces.

I'm not sure why you're selling this mysterious "residue" being found post-race in the airways as a necessarily significant, or even unexpected, development. Horses (particularly those in behind other horses for the better part of a race) scope with particles of the track surface (dirt or otherwise) in their airways on a regular basis.

One of the problems with discussing things like breakdowns and track surfaces is that there are so many factors that affect these things that the reality is that you just cant make an accurate judgement unless you are actually training or riding over the surface. Track officials wouldnt know the difference between a safe track and a dirt path, The trackman usually is overly defensive. The trainers and sometimes vets of horses who brokedown can be critical to pass the blame away from them. Some jockeys have a good opinion but the majority wouldnt know the difference. It is all a matter of opinion except in extreme cases. Counting the number of breakdowns or lack of breakdowns is not really that accurate since there are many, many other issues involved. The game was better off before people knew about medication issues(although most of what is 'known' is wrong) or payed any attention to breakdowns. Not because either was acceptable but because neither is easily understood or explained away. The public will never be satisfied that the game is clean or that tracks are safe.

http://news.bloodhorse.com/article/48670.htm

So first hind toe grabs were bad but now they are good? This whole thing makes my head hurt....

they seem as 'with it' as the bc folks.....seem to recall that woodbine banned, and then re-allowed, toe grabs.

The myth of those dangerous toe grabs.

i'm beginning to really wonder just how much the powers that be at these tracks really know about anything.

They dont know much but really dont know a thing about horses. The study that is used as the gold standard in banning toe grabs is old and flawed. The funny thing is that supposedly the main evil of toe grabs is that it stops the natural slide of a horses foot when it strikes the ground. Yet we are told that synthetic tracks are safer however they also prohibit the natural slide of the horses foot. Call me crazy but toe grabs didnt seem to be a big problem for horses at anytime in history yet when we banned them we have seen virtually no change in breakdown rates and in some places an increase. (though most breakdown numbers are statistically irrelevant)