Mike I respect your position but I have to point out one of the fallacies believed by many who advocate dirt over Ploy racing. Though traditional in the U.S., dirt is not the natural surface so many believe. Dirt tracks bear no resemblance to the natural soil they replace. They are a man-made combination of substances that require huge maintenance to keep from returning to a state of nature. They have a poor ability to absorb impact compared to Polytrack and grass. The only reason it was invented was so racing could be conducted at a volume that would wear out any natural grass course. Though it has synthetic components, Polytrack has properties that are much more favorable to a horses biomechanics and much like grass which is the surface horses evolved to run on.

Perhaps, the best proof of the safety of synthetic tracks is shown by the fact that trainers who are usually very traditional and conservative and were initially skeptical of the surface, are now entering their horses in greater numbers on these tracks (field sizes have increased with Poly), and battling with each other to get workout times to train on the surface – ask the clockers.

Yes, horses have been breaking down since racing began and will continue but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to reduce them and all the evidence strongly suggests that Poly dos that. There is obviously no way to guarantee that anything will eliminate 100% of breakdowns – that is an unrealistic standard. Yes it is a multi-million dollar sport and it is also losing millions every year – which is why something positive has to be done.

Concerning its effect on betting: it is incorrect to think that Poly will hurt the handle – all the evidence points in the other direction. Even if one cares less about the safety of the horses or the jockeys who ride them, than about the effect on the economics of racing, synthetic tracks make sense. I have no illusions that the motives of the track management that install Poly are strictly for the safety of the horses and riders. They are doing it for good economic reasons that the increasing number of breakdowns are driving people from the sport and hurting the handle. I don’t have all the figures before me, but I believe both handle and field sizes have increased in tracks that have installed synthetic surfaces. True, it does add another element of uncertainty to handicapping but this will change as more horses establish Poly form. The more clever handicappers that learn to adjust to the surface will actually have a huge advantage. Furthermore, horses will be more likely to hold form on the kinder surface. If something that saves lives temporarily makes my handicapping more of a challenge, so be it. I will adjust and even benefit from it while I feel better for the horses.

Aside from the obligation to make racing as safe as possible for horses and jockeys, from whom we derive entertainment and (hopefully) profit, we would also do well to embrace changes to save the sport from its current decline.

Bob