Central list of track w/ surface type?
 

Hi guys,

My first post to DT Forums. I love what I've been reading, and I too am a huge fan of ATR with Steve Byk. I listen all the time.

I am a very casual handicapper and would like to make a computer program or spreadsheet to aid me with some supporting calculations, but first I would need to know exactly what surface is in use at what track. The PP's from racing form do not make this obvious enough for me.

For instance, if I know they're not on turf at Turfway, I would need to know about Turfway in order to not assume they are running on dirt. And vice-versa with Churchill.

Does anybody know of a complete and up-to-date list posted (and maintained) anywhere on the web? A pdf would work too if downloadable.

Thanks a ton...

Joe

No list I know of.

Polytrack
Keeneland
Turfway Park
Arlington Park
Presque Isle Downs
Woodbine
Del Mar

Cushion Track
Santa Anita
Hollywood Park

Golden Gate is Tapeta or something like that. I may be forgetting one or two but all the others are dirt.

I think Presque Isle is Tapeta.

Fair Grounds turf course consists of 30% Northern Lights 70% Crystal Meth.

There are 2 types (mixes) of polytrack and they play totally different.

original mix: Keeneland, Arlington, Del Mar
special cold weather mix: Turfway, Woodbine

Joe,

welcome to the board

The form or other places should place a circled A for All-weather or a circled T for Turf. A circled X means they took the race off the turf.

I didn't find a directory for what surfaces are used but I did find the track directory for what abbreviations are used.

http://www.drf.com/entries/trackAbbreviations.html

Not all "All-Weather" surfaces are the same. California has foolishly mandated that all tracks shall be synthetic surfaces.

without talking about everywhere I will mention the poly race tracks

California
Del Mar is poly
Golden Gate is Tapeta
Hollywood is Cusion track
Santa Anita is a mess
and Bay Meadows is probably going to close (still a dirt surface , oh they also race on the turf)

Arlington Park in Chicago - poly
Keeneland in Lexington, Ky- Poly
Turfway in Florence, Ky - poly

Presque Isle Downs in Erie, PA - Tapeta
Woodbine in Ontario, Canada - poly

It's good that you are interested in racing but if you are serious it is very easy to figure out what surfaces each tracks have.

If you want to write code you should do homework on your own. You might learn a bit more about the game if you put the effort into downloading charts from equibase.com. You can sign up at drf.com and download past performances , or bookmark an informative site such as equidaily.com.

He may also want to use BrisNET
http://www.brisnet.com

it's all a matter of preference

I think that is the big problem. There is no distinction on the Form for whether the race was taken off the turf onto a synthetic or off the turf onto the dirt. So in that case you really do need to know what surface that track has.

True, I also haven't accounted for the subtleties? of New York tracks like the inner dirt at Aqueduct or the different turf courses at Belmont

are all dirt tracks the same?

I already know the answer but if you're slicing and dicing synthetics shouldn't you do the same for dirt?