I agree with you totally on SD.

I actually think it would be a bad thing if one of the polytrack Derby preps produced the Derby winner this year. People tend to over react. A single poly-prep winner right off the bat could cause it to become all the rage for preparing for the Derby before we really know if it helps or hurts the horse and the analysis.

I'm coming from the other direction on this. I think it's idiotic to prepare for the Derby in a polytrack prep because regardless of whether your horse runs well or poorly, you really can't be sure where he "is" and whether he belongs in the Derby to begin with. The surfaces are different. It's already clear that many horses are not equal on both surfaces.

As an owner or trainer why would you want to complicate your own analysis of how well your horse is doing and where he really belongs if you don't have to?

I could easily see working your horse out on poly if you think he can get better conditioning that way and/or its safer on him.

But why run a race on it in his final prep for a major dirt race?