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

[Riot]

Originally Posted by freddymo

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.

[Travis Stone]

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

[philcski]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

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

http://www.drf.com/news/article/110190.html

You got a mention on TVG today by the way... "Is Travis Stone calling LaD quarters this meet?" "No, he's working in some capacity at Gulfstream"

[herkhorse]

Originally Posted by richard

One would think it would be more cost effective to correctly upgrade the drainage at SA than to remove the entire track and install dirt.

I would think that either way they would have to remove the track to fix the drainage.

[richard]

You may be right . I do not know the specifics of that drainage problem.

[herkhorse]

Arlington Park has a nice cross-section of their track make up on display. It was pretty cool, though I may have been the only one that ever looked at it.

[tomm5647]

Originally Posted by herkhorse

Arlington Park has a nice cross-section of their track make up on display. It was pretty cool, though I may have been the only one that ever looked at it.

Include me as another who looked at the display. AP is my home track and I think that their poly track has been a big success. Breakdowns did spike a little last year but I don't think anyone was blaming the track. The drainage system is incredible. The track stays fast in spite of most conditions and even heavy thunderstorms drain off quickly and evenly. I haven't found any magic formula to handicap on the surface but it's been said here and I believe it to be true. If a horse doesn't run well on it the first few times, he will probably never run good on it. Wait for Hawthorne.
Tom

[SlewsMyHero]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

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!

[richard]

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

[TalkToTheHoof]

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?

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by TalkToTheHoof

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?

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

[SlewsMyHero]

Hopefully "the Bykster" will be able to get Ron Charles or Hammerle on ATR this evening to talk about it. I'll be listening to the archives later tonight.

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by SlewsMyHero

Hopefully "the Bykster" will be able to get Ron Charles or Hammerle on ATR this evening to talk about it. I'll be listening to the archives later tonight.

Ron Charles came on at 5:15pm.

ARCHIVE:
http://www.thoroughbredracingradione...y=18&Itemid=35

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

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

Who is paying for this? Breeders Cup? Didn't know they had such funds available. Suit against Pro-Ride? Who are they going to sell the surface to? (training center, etc)

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Riot

Who is paying for this? Breeders Cup? Didn't know they had such funds available. Suit against Pro-Ride? Who are they going to sell the surface to? (training center, etc)

Santa Anita will have to pay for it. I don't know how they'll come up with the money but they'll have to find a way. They can't have a track that runs in the winter that has to cancel racing every time it rains.

They can't sue Pro-Ride. Pro-Ride didn't do anything wrong. It was Cushion-Track that put in the track and botched the job. Pro-Ride came in there and tried to fix it and had only limited success. To totally fix it, I think they will have to totally re-do the drainage system and/or the base.

By the way, they can't sue Cushion Track because Cushion Track went bankrupt.

[Thoroughbred Fan]

If dirt track supers had a choice, they would love to have unlimited staff to make a dirt track great. Constant dragging, raking, and constant divot replacing/top dress replacing; that would correct all. No.

The correct choice is a mix of both, but not by state. The correct mix would be based on climate, not by delegate.

If they use the right judgment, synthetic can only help the northern states. Why So Cal uses it, I'll never know.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

SA just cancelled for Thursday.

That 7 race card they had scheduled ... with mostly all small fields .. it will be missed.

[pba1817]

Originally Posted by TalkToTheHoof

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?

All the payoffs have been made to those who had their hands out from the CHRB people down... Even though they "mandated" synthetics 3 years ago... the CHRB won't stop SA from going to conventional dirt now.

[richard]

Originally Posted by SlewsMyHero

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

I can understand removing the existing surface to correct the drainage problems within the current base. One would think it would be more cost effective to correctly upgrade the drainage at SA than to remove the entire track and install dirt.

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by Riot

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.

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