Dry In the Desert

re: Dry In the Desert

Hardlyhatful — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 04:23:51 GMT

Cassandra Your kinding right. Throughbred are said to orginate from arabian from the middle east which is mostly desert i.e. sand which is the main component of most american dirt tracks. Most horses are raised on grass which grows in dirt. The only natural surfaces are turf and dirt, nothing is natural about synthetic surfaces. If you want to be technical the only surface one should run on is grass but where would we be without our dirt racing.

re: Dry In the Desert

Cassandra.Says — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:44:35 GMT

The only natural surface is turf.

Does a horse ever, in its lifetime, tread upon any other surface resembling a dirt track? Has the horse evolved running on fluffed up dirt? Has the TB been selectively bred to run on fluffed up dirt? Is it raised from birth on dirt?

A dirt track is an artifact. Turf is natural; synthetics are imitations of natural; dirt is a manufactured surface with selected dirt as a major ingredient.

Horses who never ran on dirt: Eclipse, Highflyer, Galopin, Herod, Hermit, Canterbury Pilgrim, Penelope, Pocahontas, Stockwell, St. Simon, Plucky Liege, Blenheim, Nearco, Ribot, La Troienne, Hyperion, Sadler's Wells, Storm Bird . . . to name a few. (Giant's Causeway was on the list, then my last two brain cells collided and I remembered the Classic.)

re: Dry In the Desert

Alex'sBigFan — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:17:26 GMT

I agree with Coldfacts and Flamingo on this one. Sheikh Mo is just great for the sport. He is a worldwide force and more power to him. I think he has the love of the horse at heart and has created state-of-the-art facilities. He has done wonders for American sales and his Darley USA operation is one of my favorites. I have always been a fan of Sheikh Mo. I would say it was brilliant of him to increase the purse size since the American horses are not faring too well over tapeta. My point is the entire experience for the horses going over there is taxing on them to say the least with climate changes, flying, shipping, etc. We need to install some tapeta training tracks here to make that experience a little easier on the horses since I am sure many weeks in Dubai is not condusive to many trainer's and assistant trainer's schedules. But then again would the tapeta here be equal to the consistency of the tapeta in Dubai or made of the same components? It's a tricky thing but I am all for early arrivals, I even like early arrivals at Churchill here for our Derby.

re: Dry In the Desert

thesnowleopard — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:31:25 GMT

I am with Pedigree Ann. Bettors don't get it. They race for the love of the horse in Dubai as in Arabia generally (the Arabian Horse World Championships are held there the week before - magnificent animals, show only, my favorite event). The absence of meds and a relatively protective surface are joys for horse lovers. The decision to continue to allow Lasix in the BC marginalizes the U.S. horse industry for the sake of the betting industry. It's an ongoing mistake.

re: Dry In the Desert

Lammtarra's Arc — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:18:53 GMT

Lmaris- Actually Coldhardfacts is 100% correct. People critisize the Sheikh for his extravagant Dubai Carnival and say "oh he is just an oil sheikh throwing his money around to draw runners"...isn't thatwhat the BC did???. The American promoters for the Breeders Cup love promoting the richest day in American racing highlighted by the 5 million dollar Classic. That's ok though right?. Not to mention the fact that The sheikh sponsors dozens of races world wide, and has operations in Europe,Dubai, Australia and the USA. He is an icon for the sport, and before ANYONE else critisizes him again remember who spends the most money at American yearling/2 year old sales....ya that's right...THE SHEIKH. If the Sheikh stopped attending your sales every year what would your sales revenues be?.

re: Dry In the Desert

Bellwether — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:11:23 GMT

I need to ad this (to show respect to his connections) because of the wonderful people that own & work for Castleton Lyons including C.Clementh Gio Ponti's trainer...I just feel that Gio Ponti was hands down the BEST T-Bred Race Horse on the planet in the last twenty years bar none...after I saw him win the Va. Derby in the flesh I knew he was something special!!!...With a little tweek here and a little tweek there he wins two BC CLASSICS & two DUBAI WORLD CUPS going away!!!...If anyone out there has a mare to breed I'd be sending her to this GUY while hes still one HELL of a BARGIN!!!...Get Busy...ty...

re: Dry In the Desert

Ranagulzion — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:54:23 GMT

Great article Steve. This could be a bonanza year for the American horses. I like Triniberg from his South Florida base at Calder to defy all the logics from the experts in your article and cop that sprint. The 3YO colt Dice Flavor has an outstanding chance on the Tapeta in the UAE Derby, Little Mike is going to be a bear on the turf and we could have the trifecta in the marqee World Cup with Dullahan (shouldn't fail twice on the same synthetic surface, having run a sub-two minute 10 furlong in the Pacific Classic at Hollywood Park last year), Animal Kingdom and Royal Delta all in fine fettle. Can't wait.

re: Dry In the Desert

Lmaris — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:07:32 GMT

Coldfacts - no one in the rest of the world gives a rat's derrière about the Preakness or Belmont Stakes. Few care much about the Kentucky Derby any more, as it is seen as over-medicated young horses running on a foreign surface.

The distance isn't a test, as their classic distance is 2 furlongs longer. There is a growing divide between American racing and the rest of the world, and we're not leading it, except possibly in the shed, but that is shifting too.

Your patriotism is to be admired, but the cold had facts just aren't in your favor.

re: Dry In the Desert

Lmaris — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:01:11 GMT

We run the BC Classic on dirt, a lesser surface in the rest of the racing world. It was run at least 2x on synthetic, but we whine when the rest of the world prefers a different surface?

Tapeta is a great compromise, and the dearth of USA success may have less to do with the surface than the inability of American horses to run without their PED Lasix.

All sorts of other excuses, but let us look the elephant square in the eye. American racing is just not up to running against the internationals drug-free.

re: Dry In the Desert

Coldfacts — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:58:32 GMT

Giddyup,

Are you aware of the millions the Boys in Blue have invested all over the world in thoroughbreds and thoroughbred racing?

Have you ever visited any of their Farms or Training facilities? To these guys the horse id God like.

The World Cup was never conceived to rival the Triple Crown.

US based connections do not have to send horses to Dubai.

Your post is clearly based on ignorance and does no justice to the effort to share significant information about the Dubai World Cup.

re: Dry In the Desert

Pedigree Ann — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:44:55 GMT

Sorry, Giddyup, boat's already sailed. The US Triple Crown races may be top of the heap in the US, but in the rest of the world, the Dubai World Cup meeting is the place where the world meets to decide who's best. US is becoming more and more marginalized in the world, due its dependence on race-day meds.

re: Dry In the Desert

Bellwether — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:56:37 GMT

In the right hands Gio Ponti could have won 15 MILLION DOLLARS...EASY!!!...He was one hell of a Race Horse with a TON of HEART...ty...

re: Dry In the Desert

Giddyup — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:51:53 GMT

I don't care how many millons of dollars some oil sheik throws at his race toy in the desert....it will never achieve the status that rightfully belongs to the Kentucky Derby and triple crown.

re: Dry In the Desert

thesnowleopard — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 05:51:36 GMT

I've been all over this as a non-betting horse-loving fan since 2007 when I moved to Dubai. It is not the Tapeta. It is acclimatization + experience. Curlin set the gold standard. Come very early (January). Get into a normal routine and feel at home. Run a prep with your usual rider (Robby, the Jaguar, February). Yes, that was on dirt, but that is my point. Too much is being attributed to the Tapeta and not enough to the "experience." I like Royal Delta more this year because she was here last year - no other reason. But I subtract points for her late shipping (again!). Well-Armed finished third to Curlin, Gloria de Campeao second to Well-Armed before winning, Monterosso finished third to Victoire Pisa and Transcend, then won the next year, the latter two winning results on the Tapeta. This is not nuclear science. This is reading.

re: Dry In the Desert

The Deacon — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:48:24 GMT

Great article Steve, brilliantly written. I am one of those hard core old timers who doesn't are for synthetic tracks. I always ask myself 'what if'...........what if Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Damascus, Seattle Slew, or Spectacular Bid had to run on synthetic surfaces.

Certainly history would look differently. Nice show they put on but not an indication of the best horse...........nevertheless loved the article Steve.

re: Dry In the Desert

Alex'sBigFan — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 02:16:25 GMT

Steve this was quite informative and an interesting read on the tapeta surface and Dubai. I agree with the belief of training long on that surfact prior to racing on it, especially now since reading it has effects on their skeletal system. Early arrival is key I guess. I understand the concept of levelling the playing field by changing the dirt and coming up with Meydan and the tapeta surface and making the races more fair to the Euro participants. Now, however the tables have turned and it seems to lure the Americans back in they increased the purse size. In the case of Java's War I am glad the owners have come to their senses and will skip Dubai for now. I think that is a much better and safer choice for the well-being of their colt.

How many tapeta training surfaces are there here in America? I think Golden Gate was mentioned in this article and I am assuming it is in California but all cannot ship there so if we are intent on running in Dubai shouldn't there be tapeta here to train on in various parts of the country? It's either that or a lengthy stay in Dubai.

re: Dry In the Desert

El Kabong — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 02:00:32 GMT

Steve,

If someone wasn't excited about Dubai before this, they are now. Outstanding read.

I'm already jazzed about it with Dullahan running with Stevens, but I couldn't have wet my appetite any better than this. Really looking forward to this and appreciate all the incredible insight here.

re: Dry In the Desert

Coldfacts — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:26:40 GMT

Fran Loszynski,

Horses were chiefly used as beasts of burden before they were used for pleasure and sports.

I am of the opinion they were not designed to carry weight on their backs with tiny humans armed with whips urging them along at the height of a Lactic Acid attack.

For all the criticism of Synthetic tracks, they are easier on the legs of these majestic animals.

Certain horses preferred surface is Turf/Synthetics and other prefer dirt.

Most major US tracks offer turf and dirt racing. I cannot see the harm of a few synthetic races.

Variety is the spice of life.

re: Dry In the Desert

Lammtarra's Arc — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:18:00 GMT

Fran- Deal with it. If it means less break downs and no sloppy tracks when it rains..I am all for it. As for the article..well done Mr.Haskins. Listen to what Mr.De Kock says...he is the master. What he said about arriving early and allowing the horse the time to get used to the surface and surroundings is key. I also like his thoughts on how the Tapeta can fool trainers, very insightful from a genious.

re: Dry In the Desert

Matt Scott — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 22:05:42 GMT

Very nice article. I found the comments by Mike de Kock about his thoughts on skeletal structure acclimation extremely interesting. Steve, do you think more trainers would consider Dubai training/racing at Golden Gate Fields if they offered a graded stakes in the January/February time frame? This year, the only stakes offered during these months were 6f listed stakes, and restricted 3-year-old prep races.

re: Dry In the Desert

Fran Loszynski — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:18:21 GMT

I haven't had a chance to convey my happiness that beautiful Rachel Alexandra is recovering. I know you love her alot Steve. She is the movie star of racehorses..and it didn't matter what kind of track she was on

re: Dry In the Desert

Fran Loszynski — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:57:30 GMT

Polytrack, tapeta,synthetic...whatever happened to 'horseracing? Racehorses and jockeys compete against one another not what,s under their feet. We wanted safety but how can we deny these courageous and swift animals who they really feel they are. The hoof scratching the earth, the jockey feeling the grounded animal under him digging in for the turn. I'm mad as hell that I have to read and look for what kind of track my favorite horse is running on instead of figuring on his skill and his jockey.

re: Dry In the Desert

Mary Zinke — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:26:52 GMT

I agree with JorgeG, very nice! Mr. Cummings' and Mr. Mott's words about Royal Delta brought a smile. Bon Voyage, beauty, "my" Royal Delta.

re: Dry In the Desert

JorgeG — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:06:39 GMT

Mr. Haskin, very nice article!!!