I love polytrack. I've been out to Kee multiple times, the horses are just thriving on it, bouncing over it. Still can't get used to the silence as they run, though. Watching Oak Tree today, my teeth rattled just watching them run on the dirt. Ouch. Can't wait until CA goes poly. What a great thing for the horses, for the sport.

I'm no great shakes as a handicapper. Maybe the surface just suits my "lazy style". My impression is that poly is exposing horses for exactly what they are - their natural speed, the fitness and base the trainer has put on them, their most comfortable and natural running style. The horses are confident on it. They aren't getting kickback in their faces, their feet aren't sliding out from under them.

The horses are running their races to the best of their abilities, some trainers are gonna have to change their styles and become better horsemen. Maybe we handicappers, too.

We will see better horses across conditions, more fit horses with more base. They will run more races in their careers.

Why so few wires? Because that's difficult, and it's simple, poly doesn't artificially help a horse stay out there. Look at Turfway, the claiming ranks are sorted out more realistically. It's all the horse, and the capable jock. The jocks are figuring it out. My advice is don't overanalyze and make it complicated.

Reading Micheal's good analysis, what struck me is that for poly, I'm no longer focusing as much on "tough post to overcome". The horses don't seem to be compromised much by path due to the surface, if they are legged up enough for the distance. Turf it's not ... fair it seems to be. Honest. What they are is how they will run. Does that make sense?

Just my amateur impressions. I'm sold on this for the sport.