Doubt They Run at SA.. UPDATE: Charles says synthetic out..
 

It's only been raining here for one day and it already looks like they're going to cancel the races today. It's supposed to rain every day this week until Friday so I don't know how they'll be able to run at all until at least Saturday or Sunday.

Thank Goddness they have Pro ride??

I dont know why they are thinking they cant run on it , they havent even been out on it .

The "all weather" track pitch is a complete fraud.. perpetrated by some savvy snake oil salesmen to a few ignorant people.

I can't agree with that. It's worked at almost every other track. Hollywood Park takes the rain great. Golden Gate takes it great. They botched the job at Santa Anita. Just because they botched the job at SA, that's not an indictment against all of the "all-weather" tracks.

Its not a fraud , it works at other tracks , the freaking nimrods that installed the "drainage" system with that crap material when it was first laid down screwed it up. Either way still better than the old track and watching horses die EVERYDAY.

Keep on drinking the kool-aid...

The Santa Anita problems appear to be limited to that site.

Honu has ridden there every day for at least the past 6-7 years. I think she knows what she's talking about.

In addition, the synthetic track has been a huge success at Arlington. Ask any of the Chicago people on this board. Field size is way up at Arlington and the number of breakdowns has gone way down. Poly has been a huge success at Arlington.

The jockeys enjoy falling on it as well.

Exaggerate often?

NT

Did you ever consider that if they rebuilt a dirt surface are installed propper drainage, created a world class base, and maintained it correctly that it could be as safe and as well received by the industry?

The above makes great sense, obviously - but track supers have had decades to do that, and it apparently never crossed anybody's mind to do so. Why not?

And ever after synthetic tracks have been around, and the above suggestion has been made - track supers of dirt tracks still don't do it. I guess they feel their tracks are fine, settle down fine after a winter and are initially groomed and gotten into shape for the first meet?

For example, New York - all the freezing and thawing and heaving the base must undergo on the outer every winter - but come spring they never pull back the cushion, check the base and correct any holes.

Ron Charles was just on HRTV saying an announcement about the future of Santa Anita's surface will be coming very soon.

He did say that the current surface would likely be removed at the end of the meet. Here Here!

Didn't I read a while ago that up to 1,000 horses run and train over that surface every day ?

From what I have heard and read the NY tracks have been extremely well maintained this year?

Anyway what I am questioning is IF they spent 10 mil or whatever they spent rebuilding SA on a new dirt surface with todays technology.. It just might be much better then Pro Ride.. Again I really could care what they run on as long as its safer for the horses and riders.. I have NEVER heard from anyone that Rubber is safer then Dirt.
Look if you are Gill and you send out every laimo in the world at any level for them to race it doesnt matter if they ran on goose down they would die

Does anyone know if SA would have to get permission from the CHRB to go back to dirt? If so, would that petition be public?

Well, we're gonna see for sure, when they take the Pro-Ride out and reinstall dirt with "today's technology".

I imagine the whole base and drainage system has to go. Dirt track. From scratch, ground up.

From what I've heard, that won't be an issue. They will be allowed to put in dirt if they want to.