I disagree with the notion that Santa Anita will change its surface. Stronach is a traditionalist when it comes to surfaces and has installed some pretty nice courses and tracks at Laurel and Gulfstream. As long as he owns Santa Anita you can kiss that notion goodbye.
I agree that at cheaper tracks where money needs to be saved that some will install it. Its going to devalue the horses who run there though. Agents used to comb Turfway for good buys. Its now impossible in my opinion to buy a horse privately who has run there. How the hell can you go to a client and ask him to pay money for a horse who you have no idea as to whether or not will run on traditional dirt tracks? I think that the surface will always carry a stigma. I highly doubt that the Breeders Cup commitee would ever be too keen in the next ten years to award the Cup to a track with this surface. I also think that since CD will never switch to it that trainers who want to get to the triple crown races with horses will always want to run on a dirt surface rather than polytrack. Then there is the problem of lack of off track experience for horses who race on these tracks exclusively.